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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28031106">The House of Tasteful Men</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Catatonica/pseuds/Catatonica'>Catatonica</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>One Piece</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canon-Typical Violence, Choking, Developing Relationship, Drama &amp; Romance, Dressrosa, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Fucking With Feelings, Idiots in Love, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Lack of Communication, Love Confession, Multiple Arcs, Mutual Pining, OOC i guess we don't know too much about him yet lol, Reader-Insert, References to Drugs, Sasaki is kinda an asshole but with a heart of gold, Secret Relationship, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Smut, There Is Only One Bed Trope, There will be fluff, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, Yearning, he acts like a huge dork so beware, more violent later on, so heads up if you have troubles with blood &amp; violence!, they're both stupid</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 23:21:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>63,898</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28031106</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Catatonica/pseuds/Catatonica</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>You work for Black Maria as her accountant. The job is not spectacular, but you get to see Sasaki on a regular basis. Until finally you want more than the noncommittal flirtations and take matters into your own hands.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Black Maria/Kaido (One Piece), Sasaki (One Piece)/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>68</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Oh, Honey beware...</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Another Sasaki x Reader fanfic because I lost control over my life and he's neat.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><br/>
Nara stuck her head through the door to your room and you cursed in shock when you suddenly looked into a smugly grinning face. <br/>
"Nara, what the f-! You almost scared me to death!!" you cursed and put your hand on your chest to calm your wildly throbbing heart a little. "Damn it..." <br/>
"Sorry." she replied and came all the way to your room. She closed the door behind her and you felt that she wanted something. That big grin was a clue enough. <br/>
"I'm busy, get lost." you murmured and looked again at the books in front of you. Black Maria had once again put the income and expenses into your hands - although you were supposed to be downstairs in the ballroom, chasing the girls around so they did their job properly. <br/>
You were the right hand of Black Maria, the owner of the "Woman Trouble", the largest brothel on Onigashima. The work was hard and the nights were long. You always had to keep an eye on the girls, on the guests and above all: the accounting. The numbers were your main task, even though Maria liked to make you a chaperone in the big hall. On some days that was an annoying task, but sometimes it wasn't; For one particular reason. <br/>
"Guess who is sitting downstairs asking for you~!" Nara whispered and put an arm around your shoulder. "Go ahead - guess."<br/>
"I'm not in the mood for that." you growled and entered another number with many zeros in the table. "I'm trying to concentrate here, you know." <br/>
"Okay, I'll give you a hint." Nara's grin grew wider. "He's tall, has long green hair and only eyes for you - and has been since he first saw you." <br/>
"Sasaki's here?!" You turned to Nara so quickly that your neck cracked painfully. Your friend laughed out loud and patted you on the shoulder. <br/>
"Guessed it right on the first try, not bad!", she teased you. "Leave the paperwork to me, you go downstairs. You don't want to keep your beau waiting, do you?"<br/>
At once you were on your feet, kissing your best friend on the cheek and opening the door to your closet. Clothes flew across the room until you finally found something suitable to wear and you said goodbye to Nara with a wave. Your friend waved back, happy that you were so easy to put in a good mood. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>"Sasaki shows up and you're down here in minutes, huh?" Deliah stood next to you, one of the most popular and beautiful women of the house. She knew about her status and was a little bitchy, but that didn't bother you much. Deliah was a real men's magnet and brought a lot of money to the brothel, the reason why you were always nice to her. You wouldn't want to spoil the star's mood! <br/>
"He asked for me." you dodged her poisonous tone of voice and peered furtively out from behind the door frame to the great hall. Your heart did several backflips when you saw Sasaki sitting at the end of the hall, along with Who's Who. They talked, drank a lot as usual and seemed to be in a good mood. Your neck was tingling with excitement and you swallowed desperately against the butterflies in your stomach. It should be forbidden to be so infatuated! <br/>
"It's almost embarrassing to watch." Deliah rolled her eyes, gave you a nudge and you almost stumbled into the room. You gave her a warning look, but caught yourself immediately and welcomed the evening's most important guests. Rich men and high beasts of the Beast Pirates liked to come and be served from front to back. If Maria was not there, it was up to you to arrange everything. Then you inquired about their well-being, if they needed anything and listened to the dying boring stories of their private life. You had to laugh, flattered and waved away when they made insinuating offers. You were not for sale, on the contrary: in fact, you had been hired by Maria only as an accountant. You managed a lot of money of the Beast Pirates, more than half of the emperor Kaido's fortune. You knew the business partners, the connections to the underworld and were involved in the most important information. You would think that Maria let you do your real work - but on days like this you had to keep an eye on the brothel. She was probably lying in her private chambers again, drunk or simply in a bad mood. So it stuck with you again, fantastic. <br/>
You made your round through the big ballroom, asked the girls if they needed anything and almost avoided getting too close to Sasaki. You felt his gaze on you the whole time you were moving through the room. He had a crush on you from the very beginning, asking for you when he was in the house. Other girls he waved away immediately, he asked for you or no one. He wasn't even interested in sex, he just seemed to enjoy your company. Well, at least that's what you suspected. <br/>
"As always, it's a pleasure to have you both here." you greeted the two Tobi Roppo last. You nodded to Who's Who and finally looked at Sasaki. He grinned broadly, showed his fangs braggingly and expected a greeting from you. That devious son of a bitch - he loved to challenge you and remind you of your sometimes annoying duties. <br/>
"Good evening, Sasaki.", you played along. "Since I know your thirst all too well, can I get you another drink?" <br/>
"You already know my answer." he replied, leaning back against the comfortable sofa. You knew how the evening would end, because it was really the same every time: He got drunk with Who's Who and at a certain point you sat with him on the soft velvet of the sofa, nestled at his side. You could hardly wait for that moment when your heart was beating up to your neck and you enjoyed being Sasaki's absolute favorite. <br/>
And yet, there was something about that evening that you didn't like. It repeated at least once a week and as much as you liked this routine, something was bothering you. It was a gnawing feeling in your stomach, an uncertainty that just wouldn't let you go. You wanted more than just drinking together. Did he want that too? <br/>
"It's busy today." said Who's Who and nodded in the direction of the other guests. "Is Maria letting you do her work again?" <br/>
"Everything as usual." you replied with a sigh and nodded in agreement. "That's how you know her. But of course I'm sure she has very important things to do." <br/>
Your sarcastic undertone made him laugh, catching a slightly annoyed look from Sasaki. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Your stomach rumbled a little, dissatisfied with the whole situation. You didn't like the fact that Sasaki considered you his property. For a while, you had dismissed it as flattery, but by now you were sure that he took you for granted. Of course that was absolutely not an option, that had to be changed! <br/>
"I'll get you your drink." you said suddenly and to the astonishment of the two of them, and left the banquet hall almost in a hurry. <br/>
You went into the kitchen to get the promised supplies. In the back of your mind an idea was forming, a consideration worth trying. You wanted to see how much Sasaki liked you - if he really liked you and not just your body. <br/>
"Deliah-" You talked to the beauty of the house, which just brought a tray of small bottles back to the kitchen. "Is Maria awake?"<br/>
"Maria? I think so. About an hour ago, she spoke to me briefly." she replied after a moment's reflection and hurriedly pushed past you. "She should be in her bedroom!" she shouted over her shoulder. <br/>
"Here, please take this to Who's Who and Sasaki." You handed the two bottles of alcohol to one of the employees. "Tell them I'm sorry, but I have important things to do right now." <br/>
"Yes, master." The young woman nodded and went off to do your job. You, on the other hand, made your way to the luxurious annex of the house where Black Maria lived. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>"Maria," you asked cautiously as you knocked powerfully against the door to her bedroom. "Are you awake?"<br/>
"Come in." You opened the door and bowed respectfully to your employer. She didn't seem to be in the best of moods, because you could clearly feel her impatience. "What do you want? Is there any trouble?"<br/>
"No, I come with a request." you replied, as politely as possible. Why did she immediately assume that you had failed and something had gone down the drain? It drove an angry stab to your heart. Your work was impeccable, it always was, and yet Maria behaved like the Queen of Onigashima. <br/>
"A request." she said and raised her eyebrows. She emptied her pipe in the ashtray and looked at you piercingly. "Do you want more pay? I think your salary is more than fair."<br/>
"That's not it." You sat down on the floor and tilted your head slightly. You hated groveling to her like that. But she loved to have people at her feet. Since you needed her for your plan, you had to suck up to her. <br/>
"Oh? Then I'm all ears." She sat up a bit so that her kimono slipped over her shoulder a bit more, revealing skin. She was a beauty, you thought. No wonder she was so popular with Kaido. <br/>
"I'd like-" You hesitated. Was it really such a good idea in the end? Actually, your spontaneous ideas always proved to be good, but you took a really high risk here. <br/>
Oh, fuck it.<br/>
"I want you to forbid Sasaki to associate with me. Even if he asks for me and I have time, he shouldn't be allowed to talk to me or spend any time with me." you said, watching Maria's face attentively. Surprised, the corners of her mouth twitched and she gave a curious 'hmm'. <br/>
"Let me get this straight." She leaned forward a little and even though you were already very tall for a human - she towered above you by far. "I forbid Sasaki to have contact with you? So that what, you can wrap him around your finger even more? We both know that men want what they can't have."<br/>
"That's very simplistically put, but yes.", you said. "I know it's crazy. And I also understand that you don't really want to be involved in this--"<br/>
"Oh, dear, you misunderstand me." She drove into your word and the woman smiled sinisterly. "I'd have much fun watching him struggle. Sasaki thinks he's the greatest, I like the idea that you're making him suffer a little." <br/>
Exhaling with relief, you nodded gratefully to Maria. Her evil smile widened a little and she leaned down towards you for the last bit. <br/>
"You are far more devious than I thought." she whispered to you in awe. "But I have one condition: I expect you to continue doing your work for me perfectly, understand?" <br/>
Eagerly you nodded, but Maria's voice became more serious. <br/>
"But you also considered the possibility that the whole thing might backfire, didn't you?" she asked. She was not wrong. What if the exact opposite of your obsession came true and he lost interest in you?<br/>
"We'll see what comes of it." you said at the end and thanked her with a deep nod. You left your boss alone, closed the door to her bedroom behind you and breathed deeply.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Please don't come around</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>"What do you mean 'she's busy'! Are you kidding me!!!" You could hear Sasaki's voice all the way up to the second floor, where you were dutifully hitting the books and bitterly regretting your great plan. But things had been set in motion by you and there was no turning back now.<br/>Black Maria just explained to your crush that you would no longer work as his favorite. That you were forbidden to sit with the guests and spend your time with them. Business professionalism she evasively called it and she couldn't afford to mix accounting and service too much. This was, of course, utter nonsense, but it was enough for the moment. You covered your ears and tried to concentrate on your work. Sasaki's obvious anger made your stomach hurt, but the plan was set and you had to get through it now.<br/>Besides; if you backed out now, Maria would literally eat you alive. With a shudder, you broke away from that disgusting notion and continued to write down the receipts.<br/><br/></p><p>"I know you like her, but that's no reason to tear my house apart." Black Maria hissed, glaring angrily at Sasaki. However, he only growled aggressively and threw another of the empty sake bottles carelessly against the wall. Maria emitted a warning growl of her own and took a step toward him. She often had the patience of an angel with her guests - but not when they were tearing up the brothel.<br/>"Either you stop this shit or I'll throw you out myself!" she threatened, blowing the smoke from her pipe into the room. "And that's going to be very, very unpleasant for you."<br/>Sasaki hesitated, weighing the consequences. Maria wasn't as strong as him, but unlike her, he was drunk and angry. The temptation to tear her place apart was strong - but he knew it was stupid.<br/>"We're not done here." he finally growled, giving her a disdainful look.<br/>"Oh, yes we are.", Black Maria replied coolly, not moving an inch until Sasaki had left the brothel through the front gate.<br/>"What the hell was that all about?" asked Who's Who, who seemed to be having an excellent time. He lit a cigarette and looked up at Maria out of the corner of his eye. "Come on, Miss Maria - what's going on?"<br/>"My esteemed accountant is having a go at that blithering idiot there." She nodded her head toward the main entrance through which Sasaki had just disappeared. "I'll be kind enough to help out a bit. She's doing a good job, so I took pity on her."<br/>Who's Who snorted, half laughing, and nodded in agreement.<br/>"Too kind of you, Maria. Gonna be fun to watch." At that, Maria had to suppress an amused chuckle as well, because Who's Who was right: the whole thing promised to be a heck of a lot of fun for the audience. </p><p><br/>With a loud crash, Sasaki slammed the door to his house behind him. The wooden walls shook under the force and the empty bottles on the table clinked ominously. For a moment he listened in on the ensuing oppressive silence, but then growled angrily.<br/>"Fuck!" he hissed, pulling his coat off his shoulders. He tossed his coat and hat onto the table in the living room as he passed, and opened the sliding door to the backyard to settle on the small porch. The Tobi Roppo had a choice of lodging near the 'Woman Trouble' or right on the Live Floor. But since that idiot Apoo often hung around there and Sasaki preferred to keep you from working, he had chosen a house near the Woman Trouble. The garden was small, but partially covered with wysteria, which had been planted to decorate the brothel. The blue blossoms stirred slightly in the breeze, yet it was just a gentle breeze on this pleasant summer night.<br/>From the veranda he even had a view of the brothel, which made him wonder directly. Who did Maria think she was! Denied him contact with you, rejected him - him! - and turned him away. If she wasn't careful, he'd tear her whole fucking place apart!<br/>Sasaki clenched his jaws and thought about the evening. The fresh air had driven most of the alcohol from his mind, and he could think much more clearly now. Why did Black Maria bump him in the head like that? Had he done anything to upset her on his last visit?<br/>Everything was as usual, except for the fact that you had been acting strangely for the last week. You had almost run away, so obviously that even Who's Who had asked what was wrong with you. That evening Sasaki didn't think anything of it, you just liked to live out your lovable idiosyncrasies. He liked that very much about you. Still, something felt off. <br/>Or were you in trouble with Maria? Maybe she had grounded you? Maria was unpredictable when she got angry, so something like that could happen. The tall woman was extremely patient and kind for a pirate, but even she could lose her temper.<br/>She had never done anything like that before, so it irritated him all the more. As much as he pondered it, he kept coming to the conclusion that Maria had placed you under arrest. What other reason would there be to keep you away from him? He was good to you, he only ever wanted your company when he was out with Who's Who. There was no better feeling than having you next to him at the end of the evening, snuggling close and feeling the warmth of your body against his skin.<br/>Longingly, Sasaki snorted - that probably wouldn't happen again too soon. Maria's protective instinct was very strong, to everyone's surprise. She had taken you in, fed you through, and had given you a good job. You were so gifted with numbers, so dazzlingly good at organization and at running a business. His job was to defend and carry out Kaido's orders. He was brute force and violence, could be an insurmountable wall with his devil fruit powers to boot. He simply did not have the patience for such subtleties as in your profession. He admired you for your finesse and beauty, a combination that was truly rare.<br/>He was surprised by his own anger. He rarely lost control of himself, and it made Sasaki think that your mere presence had such an impact on him. Of course he found you stunning, but did it perhaps go beyond a simple crush if you could influence him so easily?<br/>Just thinking about spending the evening with you now, hot anger rose in his throat like magma. It seethed inside him until he finally cursed again and decided to go to bed. Nothing would come of this evening, the day was a complete failure.<br/>On the other hand, there was still a bottle of sake on the table, which had just been opened...</p><p> </p><p>Around 4 in the morning, you yawned silently, but finally came to the end with the last of the receipts from the kitchen. You closed the big black book and pushed it away from you. There was still loud partying in the great hall, but you had gotten used to that. The background noise was muffled, but audible in your room.<br/>Your sleep rhythm was by now completely designed for long nights, so you always slept until noon or even afternoon. It wasn't until early evening that the first guests were received, so there was no reason to get up early unless you were part of the kitchen or cleaning staff.<br/>Still, you were getting tired, even though your head kept rattling. You had heard Sasaki say how angry he was about Marias's ban, and it gnawed at you. Was he never coming back now? Would you really never see him again, as angry as he had left? Fear clutched your heart and you wished with all your might to be able to spend the evening with him. You wanted to test him, explore the limits and know where he drew the line.<br/>Did Sasaki just want a casual bedtime? It wouldn't surprise you if you were being really honest with yourself. But the small germ of hope dared you to think of more. Deeply lost in your own thoughts, you chewed your lower lip until it bled.<br/>You cursed out all the more startled when a rock flew straight through your open window and hit your closet.<br/>"What the hell-!" you immediately hissed and ran to the window. "Who the hell is throwing rocks into my room? What the fuck, man!"<br/>You leaned out the window, only to narrow your eyes. It was so dark, but in the garden behind the house there was actually... Wait, was that - Sasaki?<br/>"What are you doing here?!" you shouted, as quietly as you could while still letting him hear you. "You know perfectly well-!"<br/>You got no reply, but had to watch in disbelief as he climbed up the richly decorated wall of the house. You were impressed that he was so skilled at climbing - you hadn't expected that.<br/>"Get out of here, or we'll both get in trouble! Well, especially me!" you tried to dissuade him from his plan, but to no avail. You could smell the liquor before he even reached your window. Sasaki was clearly drunk as a skunk. Briefly, you worried about what would happen if he fell, but with his thick skull, surely he wouldn't mind.<br/>"Hey, Y/N." He finally appeared in front of your open window and you looked down at the complete idiot who actually climbed up the house to see you - after not even 3 hours of being banned. The whole thing seemed to work quite well, you thought cheerfully to yourself. But step by step, you reminded yourself at the same time. It was Friday night, Sasaki was drunk and just seemed to want to get his way. You really couldn't be convinced that easily...<br/>"I said no." you replied, tapping his forehead. Immediately he wanted to retort something, but you didn't even want to hear the drunken ramblings. "Get lost, Sasaki. Do you really think it would be <em>that</em> easy?"<br/>He frowned questioningly, but you closed your window and drew the curtains, giving him a clear rebuff. Puzzled, he stared at the fabric of the curtains, wondering what the hell was going on.<br/>Of course, your heart was pounding up to your neck, you even melted inside that he seemed to have such a longing for you. But you still didn't quite buy it, you had to grudgingly admit to yourself. Just because he didn't get his way for once, you wouldn't immediately fold!</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Control</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Next to you on the floor was Nara, with a bag of chips on her stomach, and she frowned at your story.<br/>"He tried to climb through your window?!" your best friend inquired, stuffing more chips into her mouth. Crumbs flew around and you knew you were guaranteed to have ant problems at some point. Why was Nara just so messy?<br/>"He tried to climb through my window!" you immediately confirmed, however, upset. "What kind of <em>idiot</em> does something like that!"<br/>"Sasaki, apparently..." muttered Nara, putting the bag aside. She sat up and propped herself on her arm to stare at you piercingly from the side. "Be honest: you liked it."<br/>"Of course I liked it!" you retorted, groaning in annoyance. "But he was drunk, so it doesn't count."<br/>"He's always drunk..." mumbled Nara and stood up, knocking the crumbs off her clothes. "Well, it'll work out. Somehow. Anyway, gotta go."<br/>"Already?" you asked, rolling from your back to your stomach. "I thought we were still eating lunch together?"<br/>"Nope, I have a lot of stuff to do for Maria today. I have to go to the flower capital and I want to be back before tonight," you got as a reply. You pulled the corners of your mouth down, because with that, your plan for the day was screwed.<br/>"So what do I do today?" you asked theatrically, but Nara wouldn't budge.<br/>"Go to the bathhouse," she suggested, shrugging her shoulders. "Treat yourself to something good today, now that you're suffering so much heartache."<br/>Nara had a point there, you thought to yourself, and said goodbye to your best friend with a wave. She left your room and you were left on the floor, pensive and with a stomach ache. The night before you had just thrown out the drunken Tobi Roppo and you were already suffering from your decision. You had already spent the whole morning crying to your girlfriend, but it didn't really help your mood. Maybe you really should go to the huge bathhouse, relax in the hot water of the springs there, and let it go for the day?<br/>But before you could decide, Nara poked her head through the door once again.<br/>"Update: Maria wants you to pick up Queen's accounting." she said, "Like, right now."<br/>Annoyed, you groaned, but rose from the floor of your room. Why on this already horrible day, of all days, dammit! You wanted to go to the bathhouse, eat something good and unwind with all this terrible heartbreak!<br/>"Is Queen in Udon?" you asked Nara, who shook her head.<br/>"They're all at Master Kaido's castle today. You should hurry before Queen leaves again." And with that, she was gone from your room, leaving you grudgingly annoyed. The day promised to be another total disaster!</p><p> </p><p>The walk to the castle was fortunately not too long, you enjoyed the walk in the fresh air and greeted some acquaintances on the way. On the floor above the Live Floor, Queen was often to be found, especially when he came from a meeting with Kaido. You looked around, asked one of Apoo's people, but no one could help you. Queen really wasn't that easy to miss, you thought grumpily.<br/>"Hello, Y/N." Startled, you turned around when you heard a deep voice behind you. You immediately stood up straighter when you saw King behind you. The giant had his arms crossed in front of his chest and was looking down at you, seemingly impatient. In itself, it wasn't a crime that you were walking around - but King wasn't a big fan of dawdling and wasting time.<br/>"Hello King." you greeted him politely, tilting your head slightly. "You haven't seen Queen, have you? I need his accounting for the monthly statement."<br/>The All-Star snorted from behind his mask.<br/>"Shouldn't he have filed his paperwork days ago?" he inquired, and you rubbed the back of your neck. Yes, yes he should have. Pretty much everyone except King and Hawkins filed their accounts way too late or not at all, much to your chagrin.<br/>"I'm sure he just forgot." you defended your supervisor, though - out of sheer politeness. You would have loved to take a huge swing at Queen, but unfortunately that was out of the question. Instead, you ran forever after your documents and had actually already given up on him. There he was on Onigashima now, and yet he was nowhere to be found!<br/>"Is it like this every month?" asked King, shifting his weight from one leg to the other. Normally he seemed very threatening, but on this day he seemed quite relaxed. Could King even be relaxed? "That's not the point of paperwork, you know."<br/>"Oh, you know him..." you tried to wave him off. "He and the other Flying Six like to be a little lax about that-"<br/>"Not in the future, no." King interrupted, and you instantly fell silent. "There's a lot of money at stake here. Isn't it true that you manage half the assets anyway?"<br/>You nodded and he gave a thoughtful 'Hmm'.<br/>"I'll clear it with Kaido. Regardless, I hereby give you the authority to impose penalties and withhold funds," he said and you briefly choked on your own spit in shock. "I'm sure Kaido won't have any objections."<br/>"I-I, um- I'm not sure-!" you immediately stammered out, but he raised his hand, silencing you. You looked up at him, a little intimidated. The task he gave you just like that was really huge. You weren't sure you wanted such a big responsibility.<br/>"Don't worry, I know your work. Black Maria speaks highly of you." he said. "And I also know how conscientious and hard you work. I have complete confidence in you."<br/>He nodded at you, saying goodbye, and you stopped in the corridor, wondering what had just happened. You turned furtively and saw King turn to you once more - and then disappear around the next corner. Since when was the All-Star so nice to his subordinates?<br/>You shook your head, but your heart pounded at the power that was now yours to command. You could withhold funds at will, which had dire consequences for both Flying Six and All-Stars. No resources, no luxury goods... Nothing without money. So you had the Beast Pirates in the palm of your hand, completely and utterly. Well, except for the captain, of course.<br/>At the other end of the corridor you saw a tall figure, a striped suit - that could only be Queen, of course.<br/>"Hey, Queen!" you immediately shouted, walking towards him. Time to abuse your new power!</p><p> </p><p>"And King gave you complete free rein?" the chubby all-star inquired, and you nodded, folding your arms proudly in front of your chest.<br/>"Yes, he did. So I'd like to have your accounting records now so I can do the accounting." you said, and though Queen hesitated at first, he finally nodded in agreement.<br/>"The records are on my ship. I'll have them brought to Maria for you later." he said and you nodded, grateful that your new authority was directly acknowledged. Out of nowhere, X-Drake also appeared behind you, thrusting a pile of loose papers into your arms with an annoyed snort and pushing past you.<br/>"Apparently he ran into King, who must be trumpeting your new post. He sure seems to think a lot of you, doesn't he?" commented Queen, and after a brief goodbye, made off to send a messenger to Maria. It all happened so fast that you hardly knew what hit you. One minute you were the accountant for Black Maria, the next minute you were organizing the entire Beast Pirate fortune. What had you gotten yourself into?</p><p> </p><p>Drinking was only half the fun if Sasaki couldn't do it in your company. He watched boredly as his men received the new shipment of steel and took it away for further processing. His bottle of sake was still two-thirds full and he was in an extremely bad mood. The whole story with the ban went against his grain and on top of that Ulti was getting on his nerves. She was waiting for the supply ship to leave so that she could be the next to leave the island. The young woman was impatient, loud and all in all simply annoying. But she always knew the latest gossip, which actually interested Sasaki this time. There was a first time for everything, after all.<br/>"Have you turned in your accounts yet?" she asked Sasaki with a sidelong glance. "King promoted Black Maria's accountant, and now things are stricter with the paperwork."<br/>Irritated, Sasaki set down his bottle.<br/>"What do you mean?" he inquired. Ulti seemed surprised that he was interested in her small talk for once. She cradled her head to the side and gave her colleague a dismissive look.<br/>"King has arranged for her to withhold funds. She can impose penalties now, too. That kind of thing, tss." she replied. "Because none of us ever do our paperwork, you know. So annoying, really."<br/>Oh, Sasaki knew full well that the accounting wasn't the point. It wasn't about the fact that King had oh-so-much faith in you - even though that was completely justified, because you were the master of numbers. Anger bubbled in Sasaki's stomach and he remained silent, thinking about it for a moment. He knew very well that King was very fond of you. One of many reasons why he couldn't stand the All-Star. But that King was now using his power to make an impression on you? That really made Sasaki angry.<br/>"You do the rest here.", he growled to Ulti and pulled his cap a little deeper into his face.<br/>"Where are you going?" the young woman asked, but Sasaki just waved it off. Now he was irritated not only by Maria's prohibition against him, but also by King's unequivocal advances. Had the remaining members of the Beast Pirates all conspired against him? He had to intervene or this was going to get out of hand!<br/>"Turn in my accounts." he growled over his shoulder to Ulti, and made his way to the 'Woman Trouble'.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Try killing some time</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Your new position really gave you a lot of authority. Within a day, you had all the documents you needed, just like that. Messengers from all over Wano and Onigashima brought books, receipts, and paperwork to Woman Trouble, where everything was already piled up in your room. Your desk was completely cluttered, pieces of paper dropped and scattered on the floor. You would have a lot to do in the coming days, you thought to yourself.<br/>You lay on the floor, hungrily devouring another piece of watermelon - which you had treated yourself to in celebration - and were lost in your thoughts.<br/>The thing with King, the promotion and the huge pile of new work had distracted you - but it was there again, the gnawing feeling in the pit of your stomach. Your thoughts were all about him, no matter how much you tried to distract yourself.<br/>Annoyed, you groaned and buried your face in your hands - but regretted it, because they were all sticky from the melon juice. Now your face was also sticky, the day was a pure disaster!<br/>You licked the sweet juice of the melon from your fingers, but continued to brood over your heartache. You wondered if Sasaki was thinking about you too. Whether he pined for you as much as you pined for him? Probably not, considering his stubborn, raw personality. That's what you liked about him, because underneath the very, very rough shell he was a really good guy. Granted, it was pretty hard to find the heart of gold behind his morbid ambition and willingness to use violence - but you succeeded. The little yet longing touches when you spent evenings with him. The sidelong glances when no one paid you any attention. The doggedness that he wanted to spend his precious time exclusively with you. You couldn't help but wonder: is he thinking about me?<br/>The answer came promptly when you heard voices from the garden. You were on your feet in just a second when you recognized the voice of your crush. You sat down under your open window to listen without being seen. In your chest, your heart was pounding so wildly that you pressed your hand to your mouth to at least keep your breath steady. Sasaki and... Nara?<br/><br/></p><p>"Let me in."<br/>"With all due respect, Sasaki - no. I won't."<br/>"You don't even know how to spell respect!"<br/>Angrily, he growled and leaned down threateningly towards Nara, but she just wouldn't back down. Spreading both arms, she blocked Sasaki's path through the back door into 'Woman Trouble', trying to puff herself up to not look quite so small next to him. The huge size difference between the two ruined Nara's attempts, however, so she simply glared at him.<br/>"I'm going to make sure you get kicked out and go scavenging for leftover food in the slums outside the flower capital!" the older man rumbled aggressively, but Nara really wasn't impressed by that.<br/>"First of all, I know you can't do that. Second, if Black Maria finds out you're lurking around here, there'll be trouble. And you know it." Nara, while respectful to Sasaki, was very firm. As your best friend, it was her job to protect you from harm and grief as best she could. She was playing pretty high stakes, considering his bad mood, but in life Sasaki wouldn't dare harm a hair on your best friend's head. He didn't care - but you did. That was reason enough for him to snort and take a step back.<br/>"Can I at least talk to Y/N?" he asked, but Nara shook her head vigorously again.<br/>"No way! Ever since that stupid ban she came up with-"<br/>Nara immediately fell silent and looked up, hoping Sasaki hadn't heard her. All color drained from her face and her expression was one of mute panic. But to her dismay - he had heard her. Sasaki narrowed his eyes a little and leaned forward.<br/>"Since <strong><em>she</em></strong> came up with the ban?" he huffed, and Nara could just feel the anger emanating from him. She sucked in a hissing breath between clenched teeth and looked over her shoulder into the mansion.<br/>"You know what? I've got work to do. I'm going to go now." she trailed off instantly and disappeared into the house as quickly as she could, slamming the door behind her.<br/>Sasaki remained standing outside, grudgingly, furious. He already knew from you that you came up with stupid ideas every now and then. That wasn't his problem, no: he didn't understand <em>why</em> you'd do something like that. Why had you asked Maria to ban him? Had he somehow upset you, or was it just for fun? You weren't a sadist, he knew that. Then why would you make such a fuss just to humiliate him?<br/>Whether he wanted to admit it or not, but you had hurt his feelings.<br/><br/></p><p>It took less than 30 seconds before you heard the thudding on the stairs and the sliding door to your room was yanked open. With a wild, panicked look, Nara stumbled into your room and you just stared at her, reproachful and at least as panicked.<br/>"I'm so sorry!!!" whispered Nara, upset, in case Sasaki was still downstairs and could hear you.<br/>"Why did you tell him that?!" you hissed back, waving your hands in the air in anger. "Damn it, Nara!"<br/>"It just slipped out!!!" you got as a whispered reply and Nara sank to the ground, embarrassed by her loose tongue.<br/>That was it, you thought, and closed your eyes. It was over, now and forever. Nara had blabbed and Sasaki knew it was all your idea. Now he would never speak a word to you again! Might as well close the whole thing, drown your sorrows in alcohol, and put a check mark on it.<br/>"Let's go to the bathhouse." you muttered towards your drawn knees, and Nara stopped apologizing incessantly in the background. "I'm sure that was the best thing that could have happened. Like a band-aid, just rip it off."<br/>Nara didn't look convinced at all. She grimaced and put a hand on your shoulder while you tried to put on a cheery smile. Of course, that didn't work out rather well, so she sighed and finally nodded.<br/>"Bathhouse, okay." she agreed, pulling you up from the floor.</p><p>The bathhouse wasn't very crowded during the week, especially this late in the evening. It was one of those lucky days when you and Nara both didn't have to work, so you could relax to your heart's content. By this time of night, most people had left, so Nara and you had the hot spring all to yourselves. This was a rare pleasure, but on this terrible day it was a happy coincidence.<br/>Straining, you tried to relax - of course, it didn't work a bit. The frustration, disappointment and sadness were too deep. Your life was over, it felt, even if you would get up again the next day to work for Maria.<br/>"What am I going to do when he comes back to Woman Trouble?" you asked Nara, wiping tears from your eyes. "It's going to be terrible! A nightmare!"<br/>"You don't know that, do you?" your friend tried to calm you down, but it all didn't help, with a deep sob the tears finally rolled down your cheeks after all. Immediately Nara was there, she wiped the tears from your face and looked at you out of her big, brown eyes.<br/>"I'm really sorry," she said, "I didn't mean to, honestly. It's my fault, I know."<br/>"No, no." you replied immediately, suppressing another sob. "After all, the idea was bullshit right from the start."<br/>Your friend didn't say anything, but you knew she agreed with you. How the hell had you even come up with such a stupid idea?<br/>"I just wanted to know if Sasaki really liked me," you groaned in exasperation, wiping your eyes with the back of your hand. "It's one thing to come to the house to drink - it's another thing if he likes me and comes to Woman Trouble because of me."<br/>"Well, after all, he only has eyes for you..." your friend tried to cheer you up, but it just didn't make sense. Your chest hurt, every feeling inside you resembled either pain or deep sadness, and you just wanted to fall into bed. Sleep until your heart didn't hurt so much anymore. However, only time would heal your wounds.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. The bad things that I do to you</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>With the best will in the world, Sasaki couldn't remember the last time he had been this drunk. Over the years, he had built up an almost inhuman tolerance for drinking - it was often a side effect of being a pirate - but he hadn't overdone it this much in a long time. It took quite a bit of booze to throw him off his game.<br/>"I can hardly believe I'm saying this, but: I think you should stop drinking, Sasaki." Kyoshiro sat next to his drinking friend, letting his eyes wander over the seven empty bottles on the counter in front of him. "This is some pretty strong stuff."<br/>Sasaki rested his head on the counter of the small pub, just rumbling something unintelligible, and Kyoshiro sighed. He didn't know what was wrong with his friend. He had already gotten drunk when Kyoshiro joined him and sat down at the bar of the pub.<br/>It was a small western style bar, in the heart of Kaido's castle. Only a few were allowed to drink here, but the better the liquor.<br/>"Did something happen?" asked Kyoshiro Sasaki, signaling the bartender that enough was enough.<br/>"Get lost.", mumbled the drunk man, but Kyoshiro shook his head. Sasaki getting drunk like that as a high-ranking officer - that was really problematic. He couldn't let himself go like that and show weakness, that was really a no-go on Onigashima. Partying was okay, but this was just disgraceful. <br/>"Come on, you big idiot." The yakuza stood up and pulled Sasaki up from the counter, trying to get him to leave. "I'll take you home, booze-head."<br/>"Shut up-!" That was all Sasaki could get out as Kyoshiro supported him and left the small bar with his ballast together. The summer night was pleasant, almost dreamlike, and the air smelled of flowers and an approaching thunderstorm. If Sasaki wasn't so heavy, Kyoshiro would be enjoying the beautiful night.<br/>"Are you finally going to tell me why you're getting drunk to the top...?" he asked, and Sasaki just waved it off.<br/>"'s because of her.", he replied. "But I'm done with that."<br/>If he hadn't been so blackout drunk, he would have heard the interested 'Hm' from Kyoshiro. Sasaki had no idea that the yakuza was soaking up every bit of information like a sponge - it could be useful to him at some point, after all.<br/>But the Tobi Roppo was beyond good and evil, barely managing to keep himself upright and being dragged home rather than escorted by Kyoshiro.<br/>"You'll be fine," he tried to reassure his friend, but it was really unusual for Sasaki to shoot himself off like that. He was well aware of his duties as an officer and always did his job conscientiously. So how was it that he let himself go like that?</p><p> </p><p>The next morning, Sasaki woke up on the floor of his living room, banged his head on the coffee table first - for whatever reason he had fallen asleep under the table - and cursed softly to himself. His head felt like someone had hit him with a sledgehammer and he had to pull himself together not to throw up.<br/>Damn, when was the last time he had had such a severe hangover?<br/>He looked around. Empty bottles lay next to him, a torn open packet of potato chips was strewn across the floor and he lacked any memory of the previous night. He was in the bar and after the fifth bottle of sake, it was all just gone. How had he gotten home?<br/>Water, was his first instinct. He was thirsty, he was sick, and he had no patience for the day ahead. Wasn't there something important today? He just couldn't remember, no matter how hard he tried.<br/>"Fuck..." he growled into the silence of the morning and got up. Maybe a hot shower would help straighten out his mind.<br/>The shower didn't help though, to make matters worse, his sword was untraceable. Had he left it in the bar? It wouldn't be the first time that such a sim drunken stupor happened to him. Now he really had to drag himself all the way back to the castle just to get his sword. He couldn't send any of his people either, because that would be too embarrassing for him. Leaving his weapon somewhere in a drunken stupor, that only happened to rookies!<br/>After all, all the drinking had served its purpose: He was in far too bad a shape to worry about you. He no longer thought about the fact that you had betrayed him. His thoughts at that moment were only about not puking on his porch.<br/>"So you're still alive." Kyoshiro's voice made Sasaki look up. The yakuza appeared behind him and joined him on the wood of the porch. "I was afraid that the amount of alcohol might killed you."<br/>"Very funny." growled Sasaki, annoyed, rubbing his temples. "What do you want, and how the hell did you get into my house?"<br/>"I let myself in. You should be a little nicer to me, after all I did carry your ass home yesterday night," he got in response.<br/>"Huh, I was wondering how I made it home..." Kyoshiro laughed and looked at his friend with growing curiosity. <br/>"Tell me, why did you get drunk like that?" he asked. "I've rarely experienced that until now. The last time you got so hammered was when you lost your fight against Queen."<br/>"Doesn't matter," Sasaki tried to avoid the subject. This was exactly the conversation he wanted to avoid, he by no means wanted to even think about you. The action of being banned by Maria had hurt his damn feelings - feelings he didn't even know ran that deep. If you didn't want anything to do with him anymore, why couldn't you just tell him?<br/>"It's about Maria's accountant, you told me that much yesterday," Kyoshiro poked further. Sasaki growled, wanting to nip the topic in the bud. The yakuza shouldn't be so cheeky for once, he was taking quite a lot for granted. But Kyoshiro had known Sasaki for a few years and knew that the Tobi Roppo had a lot more patience than he let shine through.<br/>"Doesn't seem to be going so well, huh?" Kyoshiro sat back and watched his friend closely. It was interesting that Sasaki was struggling with something like this, it wasn't like him at all. He was called in to solve problems, immediately and in one fell swoop. And now he was squirming so much on the subject, there was bound to be more to it than that. Did the insurmountable Sasaki have a weakness after all?<br/>"She did something stupid, made a big fuss." Sasaki admitted. "She could have just turned me down. Convince Black Maria to forbid me from having contact with her. What's the point of going back and forth?"<br/>"Ah, I see." Kyoshiro swayed his head slightly. "Seems like a bit of an exaggeration to me, too. Is she afraid of you? That might explain the evasive behavior."<br/>"Since when did you become such a connoisseur of women, huh?" sneered Sasaki, but admittedly - it felt good to talk about it. Someone to agree with him. Because Sasaki was used to being right, and he definitely wanted to keep it that way.<br/>"Please, I'm a yakuza. I have a lot to do with the women in the brothels." his friend replied, snorting in amusement. "I know a lot more than you think."<br/>"Uh-huh. Sure you do."<br/>"Anyway, I just wanted to check on you. To see if you were still alive.", Kyoshiro finally concluded the conversation and stood up. "By the way, your sword is still in the bar. Shota told me it's still there."<br/>"Ah. Thanks." Now he had to run to the bar to retrieve his weapon after all, bummer.</p><p> </p><p>As quickly and unobtrusively as possible, Sasaki trudged across the Live Floor to get to Kaido's castle. There was a lot going on, because after all it was only six days until the Fire Festival. The Beast Pirates were preparing for the big festival, with work and decorations going on everywhere. He ran into Page One, but luckily the two ignored each other outside of the orders given by Kaido. Sasaki just hoped he wouldn't run into Maria or Queen - those two were the biggest gossips on Onigashima.<br/>The mission went well: he got to the bar, Shota - the bartender - handed him his sword, and Sasaki was able to make his way back home as quickly as possible. There he could then suffer in peace, plagued by nausea and headaches. His patience was at an all-time low, along with his mood. Just one annoying thing happening on this shitty day and he would explode.</p><p>Too bad you had just come from King. You stepped out into the hallway of the multi-level Live Floor, a file of papers from King in your hands and happy that you already had the hand-ins for the All-Stars completely ready. All that was missing now was the Flying Six. X Drake and Sasaki still had to submit the signed-off delivery bills for the transport ships. Your stomach tightened at the mere thought of his name, but you had to work professionally. He would have to give you the documents today, even though you had expected them days ago. Typcial, you sighed.<br/>You turned around, looked up from your notes, and your heart stopped. Sasaki was standing at the other end of the hallway, and instantly every nerve in your body tingled. He saw you too, froze, and you just stared at each other for a few seconds.<br/>Finally, you swallowed, mustered all your courage, and walked towards him.<br/>"Sasaki.", you greeted him curtly, not knowing what exactly to say. Nara had blabbed, he knew about your stupid idea, and everything was screwed. "I still need the receipts from the steel shipment the week before last." Okay, not bad. Keep it professional.<br/>He hesitated, you could see it rattling in his head and he had to sort himself out for a moment. Finally, he growled and leaned a little toward you.<br/>"Why don't you go get it yourself? Get your ass to the office yourself." he rumbled with anger in his voice. Damn, he was really pissed at you apparently. But he didn't have to be an asshole about it! You opened your mouth, unable not to react annoyed to his aggressive response.<br/>"Oh no." You straightened your shoulders and leaned toward him as well. "You're going to bring me your papers. Today. Right now, if you please."<br/>Your beloved's blue eyes narrowed a little and once again you lost yourself in the blue, as beautiful as the sea on a hot summer day. What you would give to lean further forward and just kiss him - but that wasn't an option. And who was to blame for that? That's right: You.<br/>"You don't tell me what to do." he growled low, and if this wasn't a clash of your thick heads, his deep voice would even have a very erotic hold on you. But this was about who had more to say, who had more power of the other. The Tobi Roppo, or the mistress of the money?<br/>"Oh yes, I do." you replied, standing on your tiptoes. "If those fucking notes aren't with me by 4 p.m. sharp, I'm going to cut you off, Sasaki. No more money. Not a single crumb."<br/>"You wouldn't dare." He came another inch closer and your heart pounded to your throat. He was threatening you. For the first time since you knew Sasaki, you felt the subtlest hint of fear toward him. But you had ruined that for yourself, stupid as you were. So he threatened you, it was the consequence of your own stupid idea.<br/>"We'll see." you answered his silent threat with a put-on, wry smile. "Four o'clock. Don't test me."<br/>You left him standing, turning away abruptly, feeling his piercing gaze on your back.<br/>Why did you make it worse than it already was? Were you really<em> that</em> stupid?</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. The spades up your sleeve</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>So Sasaki was testing you. He was really going for it, huh.<br/>You looked at the clock on the wall, which showed 4:12 pm. You had threatened him that if he didn't hand in the necessary documents by 4 p.m., there would be consequences. Now it was up to you: did you really follow through with your threat? You didn't really have a choice.<br/>With a sigh, you pushed your chair back and rose from your desk. If he wanted trouble, he was going to get it. Still, it made your stomach ache. You didn't want to make Sasaki's life unnecessarily difficult - even if you had already done that with your stupid plan. Should you maybe apologize after all? Or assert your stubbornness?<br/>You made your way to the annex of Woman Trouble, the area of the estate that was off limits to guests. Black Maria lived here and her office was also located here, the place where the transponder snail for contacting Kaido's castle was located. You would deny Sasaki all money, so his division would look be on ice. He would be furious when he found out about it. Well, it was his own fault. You were still a little afraid, though, because he would be really pissed.<br/>"Hello?" At the other end of the transponder snail, you heard the high, childlike voice of Bao Huang. The girl with the flying squirrel devil power was the scheduler of the Beast Pirates and you liked her a lot. Even though you wondered how a little girl like her could hold such a high position.<br/>"Hello Bao Huang.", you greeted her kindly. "I have a message for King. Can you deliver it to him?"<br/>"What do I get in return?" she asked immediately, and you cursed the greedy child. But that's just how it went in this pirate gang, there always had to be something in return.<br/>"I have two bars of nougat chocolate lying here," you replied, knowing exactly how to get Bao Huang to do you a favor. "I could bring them if you ask King to talk to you for me. Right away, if possible."<br/>Brief silence on the line.<br/>"That's fine - come on down to the castle," you heard. "King's here today. I'll make an appointment for you."<br/>"Thanks!" Satisfied, you hung up and your stomach rumbled with promise. You really are riding yourself further and further into this mess, said the warning voice inside your head. Just go to Sasaki, apologize, and hope he doesn't hold a grudge.<br/>The problem, however, was: the man of your heart was very vindictive. He always acted as if nothing could upset him, but that was a lie. He remembered exactly who he had a score to settle with, and he had a perfect memory for such things. Since he was already mad at you, you could really show him your teeth now, right?</p><p> </p><p>Just an hour later, you were once again at Kaido's castle on the live floor waiting to be received by King. He was busy, so it was impressive that Bao Huang had organized an appointment for you so quickly. Sometimes the internal workings of the Beast Pirates felt more like those of an office. Appointments, applications, paperwork - bureaucracy was everywhere.<br/>"My pay." Speak of the devil - the flying squirrel girl appeared beside you, so suddenly that you flinched briefly. She was so quiet, how did she do that with those wooden sandals?<br/>"Of course." You handed her the two bars of chocolate, which she also immediately snatched from your hand. The girl loved sweets more than anything, something you often took advantage of. Since she had the planning completely under her control, you had to be on good terms with her.<br/>"How are the Fire Festival preparations going?" you asked her, watching as she slipped some chocolate under her paper mask and ate it loudly.<br/>"We're on schedule." she replied, waving the chocolate under your nose, an invitation for a piece. Gratefully, you accepted and sucked on the nougat-chocolate.<br/>"I'm really looking forward to it. There's going to be a lot going on at Woman Trouble." you murmured, already shuddering a bit at the memory of last year. When Black Maria was off the property, it was all on you. For the annual celebration, it was so stressful that you could hardly sleep! Since Maria herself was exclusively with Kaido on that day, there was always a lot for you to do. Organization, supervision and keeping the whole overview - your work was sometimes really more than exhausting.<br/>"There will be a lot going on, yes. But what do you care? You're invited to Kaido as a guest," Bao Huang snapped you out of your thoughts. Looking down at her with wide eyes, you could just feel the grin behind her mask. "You haven't been informed yet, huh?"<br/>"No!" You were caught completely off guard. You were supposed to be celebrating with the highest ranking officers? Why? Together with Sasaki? Your head was just spinning, everything blurring into a panicked mass of fear and worry.<br/>"Well, consider yourself informed now." Bao nodded at you, grateful for the sweets. "I'll have the place and time sent to you in writing."<br/>"Th-thank you." you replied, as composed as possible. At the thought of the Fire Festival, together with Sasaki in the VIP rooms of the castle.... Your stomach lurched nervously. Then reality hit you again and you realized: you were about to cut him off. A hot flirt at the festivities and a casual mood would probably not happen.<br/>A little bit lost you stood on the open corridor of the Live Floor, which let look openly into the gigantic hall. Uncertainty overcame you once again and you didn't know if you were doing the right thing.<br/>"You wanted to see me?" King was behind you and for the second time in ten minutes you had half a heart attack. Why was everyone sneaking around like this!<br/>"In private, please," you replied, taking a deep breath to calm your heart. One day you really would just drop dead of fright again with all these pirates skulking around!<br/>Interested, King tilted his head and looked at you expectantly. Apparently, a quick chat on the spot will have to do you - well, who could blame him? He certainly had a lot to do.<br/>You sheepishly rubbed your upper arm and cleared your throat. Now it was getting serious, you had to make good on your threat.<br/>"You have to take the money from Sasaki," you said, "Eh-, I mean - please, if you'd be so kind..."<br/>"So he didn't play by your rules?" inquired King, and you could hear the hint of mockery in his voice. He seemed to be having the time of his life, the way his eyes twinkled with amusement behind his mask. "Or are you two having a bit of a domestic crisis...?"<br/>"I- WHAT?!" you squeaked immediately, feeling your ears turn red. "Sasaki and I, we're not- Where did you get such a thing!!!"<br/>Your voice was higher than usual, because you would give anything for there to be a domestic life for you and Sasaki. Day and night, your thoughts were all about him, every spare second of your daily life. Hell, you were really head over heels in love with him.<br/>"People talk, they gossip..." King crossed his arms in front of his chest. "I thought as much time as you spend together at Woman Trouble..."<br/>"No, no it's not like that!" you retorted immediately and emphatically. "I mean- yes, we spend a lot of time with each other, but- we're n-not.... Ah, shit."<br/>You gave up the awkward attempt to justify yourself. What a disaster, you'd love to sink right into the ground and never resurface. Blabbing to King like that about your eternal crush, it was beyond embarrassing. Of course there were rumors and now you were finally showing your true colors with that stupid babble.<br/>"I'll comply with your request. No more money for Sasaki." the All-Star finally agreed after a moment's consideration. "I can already guess he won't like it."<br/>"Yeah, he'll go nuts," you muttered, looking down at the floor in dismay. "But I gave him a deadline, and he didn't meet it. So there must be consequences."<br/>"Absolutely right," King agreed. He put a hand on your shoulder, and though you didn't dare shake it off - it felt strange. His hand squeezed your shoulder, an encouraging gesture by all accounts.<br/>"You should keep going, stay positive. Sasaki is difficult, as you know." the All-Star talked you through it. "A suggestion: for the Fire Festival, I'll give you a tour of the VIP rooms. You haven't seen those yet, right?"<br/>You nodded and the voice in the back of your head just screamed at you: King - <strong><em>the All-Star KING</em></strong> - just arranged to meet you at the festival!!!<br/>"Ehm- I, yeah, sure.", you agreed, but were really surprised. Could it be that King liked you? Like, really, really <em>liked</em> you? Impossible! "Why not, of course, yeah."<br/>"Good, I'll meet you after Queen's opening ceremony." With that, King said goodbye and went on about his duties, leaving you standing in the hallway speechless.<br/>What the hell had just happened!</p><p> </p><p>Behind the next corner Sasaki was already waiting, who had observed the whole thing. King had noticed him long ago and asked you quite deliberately for a date. The Tobi Roppo and the All-Star could not stand each other and that was no secret. King didn't care for Sasaki one bit - however, he liked <strong>you</strong> very much.<br/>King knew that your heart beat only for Sasaki. Admittedly, the way you adored Tobi Roppo made him a little envious. You had made your choice a long time ago, King had accepted that by now. <br/>But it bothered him that you were so broken and suffered from these stupid quarrels - one more reason why he had to help your happiness a little bit. And if he had to put on a show like that to do it, touching you on the shoulder and asking you out - so be it.<br/>"What's the point of asking her out?" Sasaki was leaning behind the corner with his back against the wall, his arms crossed, and he was maltreating King with a piercing stare.<br/>Oh, he was really easy to make jealous, King thought. It was almost too easy.<br/>"You blew it." the All-Star retorted with a spark of amusement he couldn't suppress. Sasaki had brought this on himself - you just didn't take a woman like you for granted. The Tobi Roppo still had a lot to learn.<br/>"We'll see about that..." rumbled Sasaki. He seemed demoralized, thoughtful, and that pleased King greatly. He didn't like his nakama, and he didn't have to - but he'd be damned if he was going to let Sasaki make you miserable.<br/>"If you really care about her..." King adjusted his leather gloves a little. "Then you should try a little harder. After all, you're not the one with a date at the Fire Festival now, huh?"<br/>For that, King only got an angry growl in response. He had now irritated Sasaki enough, made him jealous, and had a little fun to boot. And to top it off, he now had a date, so the day hadn't gone so badly.</p><p> </p>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. The stakes are up</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Who would have thought that his mood could sink even lower?<br/>Sasaki half-heartedly listened to the current inventory of his division's camps, but his mind was naturally elsewhere. The Fire Festival was in two days, and King, of all people, had a <em>date</em> with you. Sasaki would never have thought of going on a date with you! A real date, that sounded stupid and he really didn't want to give himself this embarrassment. On the other hand, King had gotten himself a whole evening at your side, he now had that ahead of Sasaki.<br/>Annoyed, he drummed his fingers on the armrest of his throne-like chair, brooding to himself and not listening a bit anymore. He was not interested in what and how much was in the camp and what was needed. It was part of his duties as the leader of this division, but what was he supposed to do? After all, thanks to you, there was no more money and he was left high and dry for the time being. That's just great, Sasaki thought angrily. This made him a laughing stock, something he really couldn't stand.<br/>And all this only because you had wanted to get out of the whole thing you two had going on. You had asked Maria for that stupid no-contact order, hoping for - well, for what, actually? That he would just never come back, never show up at the Woman Trouble again? You could have asked him, told him that you didn't want him around. He wasn't someone who forced himself on you, he didn't need to do something like that. But Sasaki liked you and he liked to spend the evenings with you. When you snuggled up to his side, a little tipsy and laughing a lot, he almost couldn't take his eyes off you.<br/><em>Oh</em>, he loved your voice so much. What he would do to be able to hear it every day, it instantly improved his often so bad mood. When he came to Woman Trouble, the first thing he would do was look for you scurrying around among the other guests. Every time he saw you, he would hold his breath for a moment and his heart would stop. When you looked at him with your beautiful eyes he felt the nervousness prickle at the back of his neck. He really wasn't a gentle soul, not at all - but for you, he wanted to be. No one else could know that you were his great weakness, that he would do absolutely anything to protect you from harm.<br/>One more reason why your rejection hurt so much. In the past few days, Sasaki had done everything he could to drive you from his thoughts: He had drunk himself senseless, even tried to use the hangover as a distraction. There was no point in snapping at his people either, and that usually always lifted his spirits!<br/>But this was different, something was bothering him tremendously about the whole thing. The worst thing about this fiasco was that he just didn't understand it. It had been bothering Sasaki for days that he kept asking himself if he had done something wrong. A question he rarely asked himself, and yet he did. Had he upset you?<br/>"Master Sasaki!" In the end, he was jolted out of his musings after all, as one of his people spoke to him more and more insistently. "Master Sasaki, it's really important!"<br/>"What!?" he blubbered back, puffing in annoyance. Wasn't there any way to think in peace here?</p><p> </p><p>"You wanted to see me?" You poked your head into Black Maria's office and waited for an answer. She finished writing the last numbers on the paper and then put everything aside. Only after all the pieces of paper were in order did she even look at you.<br/>Oh dear, you thought. Was there going to be trouble? You had done an exemplary job of all the bookkeeping, so that couldn't be it.<br/>"How are you?" asked Maria finally, lighting her pipe. The blue smoke spread around the room and scratched your throat, but you ignored it as best you could.<br/>"Fine, why do you ask?" you replied, frowning. Maria sighed slightly.<br/>"I know what's going on with you." she said, and you heard honest concern from her voice. "I know that Sasaki isn't talking to you anymore and that King, of all people, invited you to the Fire Festival. On top of that, you'll be not <em>here</em> that day with so much going on, the festival..."<br/>You stared doggedly at the wooden boards of the floor, trying to ignore the lump in your throat. Hearing it so openly from Maria that you had screwed up so thoroughly with Sasaki - it hurt. But it was your own fault and there was nothing you could do about it now.<br/>"I'm not going to the Fire Festival," you finally said, and Maria tilted her head in surprise.<br/>"Why not? I think you have a date with King?" she asked. "You've been so busy the last few years, I wanted to give you the night off for once."<br/>"That's very nice, thank you Maria." You tried to smile, but you couldn't quite manage it. Instead, you sobbed out and had to wipe a stray tear from your cheek. "Ah... I'm sorry."<br/>"Dear, do you really want to work that night? Maybe a little fun would lift your spirits?"<br/>You nodded and another sob shook your chest. Last year you had had a wonderful celebration, drinking late into the night - after your shift was over, of course. It was a hilarious evening together with Who's Who and Sasaki and despite the mental blackout you still remember a pissed off Black Maria and totally destroyed furniture. What an evening, but one that would rather not be repeated. It hurt, it drove a dagger into your chest and you had to sob again involuntarily. Actually, you weren't a crybaby who just blubbered away, but so much had happened in the past two weeks that you could hardly hold it in.<br/>"All right. You know I'm going to need you here. I'll be at the castle with Kaido, entrusting the house to you." Your tears were enough of an answer for her and Maria leaned over to hug you. It was rare for the huge woman to touch anyone other than Kaido, so you let her lovingly smother you.<br/>Black Maria had a soft heart about some things, even if she was a pirate. She took you in years ago, gave you work and provided you with everything you needed. You wanted to return that kindness to her, and you did so by doing a good job. You wouldn't go to the Fire Festival but do your work at Woman Trouble so Maria could enjoy the evening instead of you.<br/>"If you need anything, let me know," she tried to cheer you up a bit, but you just nodded and sniffled into your sleeve.</p><p>Time would heal your wounds, eventually. At least that's what you told yourself.</p><p> </p><p>"Master Sasaki, Black Maria wants to talk to you!"<br/>"Maria-?" Sasaki was surprised, but then picked up the receiver of the transponder snail. "This is Sasaki."<br/>"Have you lost your mind?!" immediately came her voice angrily from the receiver, and he winced a little. As loud as Maria was yelling into the receiver, he was sure he could hear her perfectly well all the way to the camps without a transponder snail.<br/>"Don't yell like that, damn it!" retorted Sasaki, shooing his men away with a warning look. What had gotten into Black Maria that the usually composed woman was raising her voice like that? "What's going on, anyway?"<br/>"That rotten game you're playing with my accountant - will you stop it!" came loudly from the receiver. "She's totally out of line, in the end my accounting will come out with total nonsense. It's all your fault!"<br/>Sasaki growled deeply, feeling anger rising in his throat like hot lava. Oh, all of a sudden it was his fault? Like hell it was!<br/>"She's the one who came up with that ban crap!" he countered, noticing himself getting louder as well. "Complain to her and don't blame it all on me."<br/>He waited for a response, but Maria seemed to have her words all figured out.<br/>"Sasaki, I think you two really need to talk," she finally said, and he heard a slight sigh from the receiver. "Communication really isn't your strong suit, hm?"<br/>"Fuck that!" he immediately retorted. "I'm not going to let some run-of-the-mill accountant tell me what to do and what not to do - or who I'm allowed to spend my time with."<br/>Silence.<br/>"So you really like her, huh?" Maria's voice was heavy with the realization that Sasaki, in fact, did like you. He fell silent and immediately regretted reacting so emotionally. Maria was good at picking up on things like that, one reason why she was so good at her job. Sasaki was always very cautious of her, but that had apparently just come to an end.<br/>"You could say that." he finally said, because silence would definitely give away more than anything else. "But that's over, isn't it?"<br/>"Hmm... I wouldn't be so sure about that, Sasaki." With that, Maria hung up and Sasaki furrowed his brows in confusion. What did she mean by that? Apparently she knew things that he didn't - was he supposed to talk to you after all and have the nerve to come crawling to you like a beaten dog? Over his dead body!<br/>That was surely the best way to get the problem out of the way. If Sasaki just talked to you and asked you what it was all about. Why didn't you want to see him? Why had you told him the first night that it wouldn't be that simple? Was it all just a test or a stupid game? Questions upon questions and he just wasn't getting any answers.<br/>Unfortunately, a conversation was out of the question, because his ego violently resisted this possibility. He was the dominant part, he had always the last word. Never would he come crawling to you asking for forgiveness for whatever he had done to upset you.<br/>His pride wouldn't allow it and so he decided to spend the Fire Festival at Woman Trouble. If you were already going to have an oh-so-fun evening with King, then he could get drunk at Maria's place in peace.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Something is closing in</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><br/>It was the day of the Fire Festival and already since the early morning everything was running at full speed on Onigashima. The kitchens had been running hot since the early hours of the morning, the cooks were almost running around, simply so that everything would be ready for the evening. As always, Queen would open the festival, followed by the big banquet and then the endless drinking of the Beast Pirates. It was the same every year, the agenda would never change. That was good because on you was the entire organization of Woman Trouble for that day. It was pure stress keeping track of everything - but at least it took your mind off your heartbreak.<br/>"The kitchen is that busy?" asked Deliah, coming up beside you and smiling mischievously. The remark was superfluous, of course it was - but she just wanted to annoy you a little. The beautiful woman succeeded, too, because you growled at her in a bad mood and passed the list of guests to the head chef of the house.<br/>"You need anything?!" you barked at her, but Deliah just chuckled and watched the bustle of the kitchen next to you.<br/>"Yes, indeed." she admitted. "My best kimono is still at the seamstress. You'll have to send for it."<br/>"Really? That's what you come up with today of all days?" you asked immediately, glaring at her. "Deliah, you really should have thought of that before!!"<br/>"I forgot, okay?" Her tone immediately turned angry, but that was because you were right. On the busiest day of the year of all days, she had to forget her clothes at the dressmaker's, just unbelievable!<br/>"Okay, let me think-" you muttered, mentally skimming the people who could make the trip to the dressmaker. There was way too much going on, too many preparations- you would have to go yourself. It was only about a twenty minute walk to the tailor shop, so it would be barely a full hour in total before you got back here....<br/>"Okay. Go get Nara and give her my notes," you said, pressing your notebook into Deliah's hand. "I'll be back in an hour and you better not look absolutely stunning tonight!"<br/>"I always look stunning!" she called after you as you hurriedly ran off to get the diva her clothes. It annoyed you that she was so careless and didn't care a bit about what you were doing. Deliah was used to being waited on from top to bottom by Black Maria - so she expected it from you, too. You didn't care how popular and beautiful she was, but if you didn't spurt, she'd end up squealing to Maria!</p><p> </p><p>Hastily you walked through the garden complex that connected Woman Trouble with Kaido Castle. It was a beautifully maintained complex, full of flowering bushes and flowers in every corner. The branching paths allowed you to get from A to B quickly in the heart of Onigashima, a fact that enabled you to reach the castle quickly. This was important for your tight schedule on that very day, so you hurriedly ran across the gravel path, already completely out of breath. The tailor shop was one floor below the Live Floor, the huge stage of the castle. It was still quite a distance to get there, and you already couldn't breathe!<br/>Of necessity you stopped and caught your breath, pressed your hands against your side and took a deep breath. Why was this day so terrible and why did you have to have such stress? If only you had accepted King's invitation....<br/>"Y/N?"<br/>"Ulti?" You looked at the gravel path in front of you and sure enough, it was young Tobi Roppo who came to a stop in front of you. What was she doing here? "Shouldn't you be getting ready for the festival?"<br/>"Could I ask you too, I'm sure you have a lot to do." She watched your bent-over form and how you struggled for breath. "Maria's already at Kaido's, so I guess you'll be in charge of Woman Trouble."<br/>"Yep, I did, but I have an important errand to run," you groaned, straightening up. "Unfortunately, it's urgent, so-"<br/>"Do you need help? I can run way faster than you."<br/>Did you mishear her, or was Ulti really just offering you her help? She had to be really bored if she was being so nice to you! Ulti was known for being very arrogant and not bothering with the common people on Onigashima if possible. That sounded harsh, but it was true - as one of the Flying Six, she had more than enough to do. So it was all the more strange that she offered to help you. But you couldn't really complain about that, with all the stress.<br/>"Please, a little help won't hurt." Before you knew it, Ulti grabbed you by the wrist and pulled you onto her back - she was really strong, yet she was barely taller than you!<br/>"Hold on." You wrapped your arms around her neck as she transformed into her hybrid form and took off running. You really wouldn't have bet that Ulti would carry you piggyback through the garden!<br/>"Why are you helping me anyway?" you asked her, "You must be really busy today!"<br/>"Not really," she admitted, however. "There's still time until the festivities start, and my brother is still getting ready - it really takes him forever to do so."<br/>Your thoughts immediately drifted to Deliah. Oh yeah, you knew someone like that.<br/>"I never thought you'd help me," you said sheepishly. "That's very kind of you."<br/>"Hmm, me neither, to be perfectly honest. I never really liked you." Ah, Ulti really was being brutaly honest again. "But it's amusing what you're doing to Sasaki, it did raise my opinion of you."<br/>Your heart sank a little. What were you doing to Sasaki, exactly? You had only drawn consequences from his own actions, it wasn't your fault.<br/>"He brought it on himself," you said, and your grip on Ulti's neck tightened a little, emphatically. Why did she bring it up at all, she had to know it annoyed you?<br/>"Like so many things," she agreed with you. "Still, it's entertaining to see him struggle."<br/>"Struggle...?"<br/>You arrived at the castle and Ulti stopped, changing back into her human form. You slid off her back and smoothed your clothes, nodding gratefully. In just a few minutes she had traveled the distance of 20 minutes, she was truly impressive! If a little strange, like all Tobi Roppo.<br/>"You know, I just don't understand what you see in Sasaki," she said, puffing under her mask. "I don't like him. He's arrogant and narrow-minded."<br/>"Oh yeah, he definitely is." you agreed, "And thanks for the ride."<br/>"It's good for him to go out of his way just to make it up to you. Maybe he'll become a little less annoying by that." Ulti finally concluded the conversation, nodding at you as well. "And you're welcome."<br/>You waved at her as she continued her walk, leaving you at the entrance to the castle, feeling guilty and on the verge of tears. You felt bad at the thought that Sasaki really cared about you. But did he? Until now, you had only argued lately, nothing more. He had disobeyed your official orders and now he was taking the consequences. He was angry with you, hadn't been seen at the Woman Trouble for ages. You didn't know what exactly Sasaki thought about you and how he felt about you. Whether he felt something for you, anything - or whether he turned his back on you completely, you didn't know that either.<br/>There had been no conversation, not even after Nara had blabbed so stupidly. You chided yourself for that, because even if you were ashamed of your stupid plan - talking to him would have been the only sensible thing to do. So why didn't you? What kept you from going to Sasaki and finally talking to him about your true feelings?</p><p> </p><p>"Thank you." You accepted the package, it was Deliah's freshly refurbished kimono. She wore only the finest clothes, of course, because she was the star of the Woman Trouble. She got everything she wanted and when she wanted it. Privileges, you thought bitterly. All you had was a small room on the second floor and reams of paperwork for accounting. <br/>Fantastic.<br/>With the package under your arm, you ran up the stairs, up to the live floor. There was work going on everywhere, the final touches were being made to the festival ambience and every inch was shaking with activity. You meandered through the staff, pirates and first visitors of the day. It wasn't easy to get through all the people and beasts, you had to duck and weave to make any headway at all. That wasn't the end of the line either, there would surely be twice as many people occupying the live floor once the party started! You had to get back to the Woman Trouble as soon as possible, you had enough to do yourself on this stressful day. But you had to find your way through the crowd, which wasn't easy. You were bumped into from all sides, cursed the hustle and bustle and continued to make your way through the masses.<br/>"Ugh, finally!" you cursed in annoyance, but finally arrived back at the gardens and took a deep breath. Time for one last sprint until you were finally back at the Woman Trouble and could take care of the rest of your business.<br/>When only, oh when only your heart would finally stop aching like that? You wanted nothing more than to finally have peace in your mind and no more racing thoughts disrupting your daily life. So in the end, you really would have to talk to Sasaki, whether you wanted to or not. At least to preserve your own peace of mind.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
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<a name="section0009"><h2>9. I can't do a thing</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"There you are finally-!" hissed Nara as you entered Woman Trouble. "There's fucking hell going on here!"<br/>"I know, I'm sorry!" you replied, pushing the kimono into the hand of a maid. "Here, give this to Deliah, please. How's the kitchen?"<br/>You took the notebook from Nara and she quickly brought you up to speed. The kitchen was well on schedule, the maids had cleaned the house from top to bottom, and the supply of alcohol was stocked to the top. All in all, the preparations had gone well, everything was in place and running like clockwork. You could finally exhale after so many hours of rushing and planning!<br/>"Everything looks just fine.", you sighed, relieved. <br/>"Okay, so- Give me that." Nara snatched the notebook from your hand and you opened your mouth in silent protest, but she didn't give you time to complain. "Come on."<br/>Your friend pushed you toward the stairs and pushed you up the steps to the second floor. She brought you all the way to Deliah's room, who was already waiting and pulled you inside.<br/>"What the hell-! I'm busy, what are you two doing-" you hissed, trying to hold onto the door frame, but Nara pushed you into Deliah's room.<br/>"Take your clothes off."<br/>"Excuse me?" you retorted irritated, but Deliah started pulling at your clothes.<br/>"Come on now, I have to get ready too!" she growled, pulling your top over your head. Automatically you crossed your arms in front of your chest, but the beautiful woman wouldn't hear of it. She unfolded the kimono and held it against your body, nodding-it would probably fit.<br/>"But- But what are you doing?" you asked, upset. "Deliah, I'm busy, I have work to do!"<br/>"Like fuck you do," she grumbled, and began dressing you. "Be glad Nara and I are nice enough to give you a night off!"<br/>"A night off? Deliah, I'm in charge today, Maria is at the festival!!!" Deliah paused and looked at you, ready for a snarky reply. But she just sighed and continued with her work.<br/>"I know you will. Nara and I are going to run the brothel for the day so you can have your date with King. Your permanently sad face is really unbearable. Go have some fun!"<br/>With your mouth open, you tried to understand all this, but you gave up. Why the hell not? Nara and Deliah were very reliable and if you were completely honest with yourself, you would like to have a nice evening with a man like King. You were sure he'd entertain you well, and Maria was busy all evening anyway....<br/>"And what if I meet Sasaki?" you finally asked out meekly. Fear began to gnaw at your stomach until you finally felt nauseous. "I can't-"<br/>"Wait, you don't know? I thought you already saw the reservations!" it blurted out of Deliah as Nara slipped into the room behind the two of you. "Kyoshiro has reserved the lounge for himself and Sasaki! They seem to be planning quite a bender."<br/>"What?!" you hissed, looking at Deliah in panic. "Sasaki's coming here? Today!"<br/>"Yes, he is!"<br/>You hesitated for a moment, but then nodded in agreement. Good, then you guessed you would have your date with King after all! Before you could talk to Sasaki, you had to get your words straight. Surely such a relaxed evening couldn't hurt, could it?</p><p> </p><p>Sasaki yawned heartily and stretched until it cracked between his shoulder blades. Satisfied, he brushed his wild hair back and looked over at Kyoshiro, who was sitting next to him on the wooden porch.<br/>"Since when do you make reservations?" he asked his friend, and Kyoshiro cradled his head as he emptied his plate. The two sat together, talking and eating dinner before heading to Woman Trouble. While Sasaki's mood was not necessarily the best, it could have been worse. At least he could enjoy the evening in peace when you had your stupid date with King.<br/>"It's going to be busy, and I just wanted to make sure we got a seat, too," Kyoshiro explained, and he drained his glass. "It's going to be a party!"<br/>"If you say so." Sasaki listened with only half an ear. He was always up for a good celebration, but on this day he was so not in the mood for a rollicking evening. Of course he wanted to drink the idea of you and King out of his skull, but company was rather an imposition that evening. Even Kyoshiro was getting on his nerves a bit, and they had been good friends for years. In fact, he and Who's-Who were the only friends he had - apart from you. <br/>Ah, he missed talking to you and joking about the little disasters within the Beast Pirates. Because of your work at the Woman Trouble, you always had the latest gossip for him, too. Then he could vent loudly about the idiotic underlings of the Beast Pirates to make you laugh. Sasaki missed your laughter, he really did.<br/>Kyoshiro seemed to notice his sinking mood and cleared his throat.<br/>"You know, if you want to avoid her so badly. Maybe we <em>shouldn't</em> go to Woman Trouble." Kyoshiro didn't look like he was very comfortable in his skin. Evasively, he looked to the side and finally sighed when Sasaki let out an impatient growl.<br/>"What do you mean?"<br/>"Ah, I've heard from a reliable source that.... Well, that your chosen one has full control of Maria's house tonight." he blurted out. "I thought, oh, once we get there-"<br/>"Forget it," Sasaki immediately interrupted him. "Then we'll go to the castle's celebrations."<br/>"Sasaki, come on-", Kyoshiro tried again, but the Tobi Roppo wouldn't hear of it. He growled deeply, ending the excuses instantly, and with that, his mood once again hit rock bottom. Could this day get any worse?<br/>"Then let's go to the castle, I'm not setting foot in the Woman Trouble if she's the boss!" He stood up and angrily cracked his neck, but with too much vigor in doing so - now his neck hurt too, excellent. Just fantastic!<br/>"You're acting like a-"<br/>"Like a <em>what</em>, huh?!" Sasaki put the tone menacingly low, and Kyoshiro bridled. He was taking a lot out of himself as it was with his attempted matchmaking, he should have left that alone for once. The yakuza gave in, he definitely didn't want to end up on Sasaki's blacklist.<br/>Well, at least not for the time being. It was interesting to see how the high-ranking officer seemed to get so hung up on a woman like you. Kyoshiro memorized every detail, because who knew - maybe he'd need that info in the future. Until then, he sat back and enjoyed the show.<br/>"We're leaving." Sasaki picked up his cap from the table in the living room and gave Kyoshiro a prompting look. "Come on!"<br/>"Already on the way, don't make such a fuss." The yakuza got up and picked up his sword, following the annoyed Tobi Roppo out the front door.</p><p>So Sasaki went to the castle after all, just to avoid contact with you. The easiest thing would really be for him to simply try to talk to you. Maria had let slip that he should not give up yet - what exactly did she know?<br/>But until he could talk, he wanted to figure things out first and find the right words. It wasn't his way to talk about feelings, he was uncomfortable just thinking about it. But he probably couldn't avoid it in the end, even if it was just to get a huge rejection. What he would give if this whole thing would just dissolve into nothing...</p><p>"Aw shucks, Sasaki!" Who's-Who greeted his colleague, already tipsy from top to bottom and in high spirits. "I thought you were going to celebrate at the Woman Trouble?!"<br/>"'changed my mind. Are you in the café or the Red Room?" he inquired, and he accepted the bottle of sake from Who's-Who. After a hearty swig, he was usually feeling better, but his mood just wouldn't improve. Well, the reason for that was pretty obvious.<br/>"Neither, I can't listen to Queen's whine for too long. We'll be in the VIP Room in the East Wing." replied Who's-Who, and he walked along with Sasaki and Kyoshiro to said East Wing. Sasaki couldn't wait to get drunk, to think of anything but you. He didn't want to think about your sweet, sweet voice; Your hand that you put on his arm as often as possible. That little piece of paradise when you leaned against him and looked up at him with your beautiful eyes - as if there was nothing better in the world than being close to him.<br/>"Alcohol, come on." he growled at these thoughts, virtually snatching the bottle of sake from Who's-Who. Sasaki had had enough, he wanted to stop thinking about you for one night and just have a good time.<br/>Out of the corner of his eye, he looked down the hallway, a group of people were just going into one of the VIP rooms - when he saw you.<br/>Sasaki stopped and even forgot to breathe for a moment. You were wearing a kimono made of such noble material, it had to be sinfully expensive. Your hair had been coiffed with a lot of effort and even real flowers were woven into it. Sasaki had never seen anything so beautiful, he was completely speechless. He could do nothing but stare at you, breathless and without words. His heart beat up to his throat, this hadn't happened to him in years. It was almost ridiculous what an enormous influence you had on him.<br/>And just at that moment you turned around, your gaze wandering aimlessly through the corridor until it finally landed on him. Your eyes widened slightly in surprise, and Sasaki could swear that he had seen an excited glint in your eyes.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. I can't do a thing but wonder</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>For the first moment of your surprise, you were glad to finally see Sasaki again. Your heart went up to your throat when you saw him. As always, he was stunning, with a certain aura of strength surrounding him. He had always had that about him, that certain dominance behind which only you dared to look. As bad-tempered as he always looked, he was usually in a pretty good mood - people just didn't see it.<br/>But then you remembered that you had a fight. Immediately you forced yourself to a neutral expression and the excited sparkle in your eyes disappeared. You snorted, knowing that it was all your fault, and finally gave Sasaki the middle finger.<br/>This threw him completely off course. Sasaki stared at you in confusion and raised his shoulders questioningly, but you stuck your tongue out at him and turned away, continuing to wait for your date with King.<br/>It seemed to be getting to be too much for Sasaki, as he made his way through the crowd to you with an angry growl that you could still hear the twenty yards away. He was much taller than most people, so out of the corner of your eye you could see him coming right at you. People immediately made way for him, he parted the crowd in front of him like a snowplow, and the very idea made you giggle a little.<br/>But when he almost reached you, you quickly made your way away. The loud clack of wooden sandals on the floorboards accompanied your every step as you disappeared around the next corner, weaving your way between all the people.<br/>"Stop running from me!" you heard his voice behind you, and you walked even faster to get away from your lover. A conversation between you and Sasaki had become inevitable at this point, but you didn't want to do that for the Fire Festival of all things. You wanted to have a nice evening, have a pleasant time with King, and maybe get a little drunk - but not argue about your actions and feelings with Sasaki. He would blame you, reject you forever, and you could just as easily experience that disappointment tomorrow, it made no difference. You could just as easily experience the heartbreak after the festival.<br/>"Stop right there!"<br/>"No!" you shouted over your shoulder and began to run, as best as the kimono would allow. You were slow in your gorgeous outfit, so he would catch up with you. King would be waiting for you at the appointed place and you wouldn't show up for your date, but that wasn't your biggest problem at the moment.<br/>Behind you, you heard the angry growl like that of a wild animal - apparently you had finally made Sasaki really mad! You could hear surprised exclamations from the guests behind you, and as you looked over your shoulder, you saw Sasaki start to run as well, practically flinging people out of the way.<br/>"Oh shit!" it slipped out of your mouth and for the first time you experienced first hand that Sasaki was extremely fast despite his strong build. "Shit, shit, shit!"<br/>The sinfully expensive kimono prevented you from running any faster - even though you looked really good in it. So you turned right, into one of the party rooms of the Live Floor. You could get from room to room through the sliding doors, allowing you to get through the entire floor quickly - something that was very convenient for you at that moment.</p><p>"Sorry, sorry- I'm so sorry!" you hurriedly stumbled through the well-packed party rooms, ripping open a sliding door and closing it again behind you to cover your tracks. People in the rooms looked at you with wide eyes as you pushed past them, wildly throwing apologies.<br/>Unfortunately for you, Sasaki was, well, <em>difficult</em> when he was really angry. He would then get this tunnel vision and focus only on his target, completely unaffected by his surroundings. So he burst through the sliding doors made of wood and paper instead of opening them. You heard the loud crack of the wood under the force of his pursuit and squealed in fright as a large piece of wood flew right past your head and got stuck in the space of the next door. That could have been your head!<br/>Out of breath, you were already gasping for air, but you didn't stop. Instead, you grabbed two of the seat cushions on the floor and threw them over your shoulder with a spin that nearly sent you crashing to the floor. The nobly knit cushions flew through the air and you could hear the loud ripping of the fabric as Sasaki sliced them with a slash of his sword. Of course pillows would not stop him, but you had hoped for a distraction to escape. Exactly why you ran away in such a hurry, you couldn't say - it was the only thing you could think of, though. You just wanted to run away from all the trouble until you could forget Sasaki and your heartbreak forever. If only you hadn't started this nonsense, damn it!<br/>You had arrived at the last door, the door that led back to the corridors of the live floor. From there you could see down to the stages, Apoo's DJ station and the huge party room in the heart of the Live Floor.<br/>With a jerk, you pulled open the sliding door and stumbled out into the aisle, looked to your right, then decided to go to your left - but ran right into one of the waitresses. Startled, she cried out as you both crashed into each other and you stumbled back. The small bottles from her tray fell to the floor and rolled away. You stepped back, about to apologize, when you stepped on one of the small bottles and immediately lost your balance. Usually wearing sturdy shoes, the sandals were so unfamiliar to you that you stumbled and fell backwards.<br/>Ready for your butt to make painful acquaintance with the ground, you closed your eyes - but your back slammed against the railing and the momentum of your fall threw you backwards.<br/>The second was almost as long as a whole eternity. In your mind, everything happened very slowly: instead of hitting the ground, you fell over the railing and then headfirst down into the live floor. You saw the bright colors of the crowd below you, a surprised scream from the waitress, and spun around in flight, hoping you could still grab the railing.<br/>The live floor was huge and from the high aisles it was surely close to 30 meters to the floor. If you hit the ground it was over and done with you!<br/>"Ugfh-!" A deep groan escaped you as you felt a jolt in your shoulder and you hit your forehead against the wood of the railing. Painful was the grip on your forearm, it almost felt like your skin was going to tear, but your life seemed saved.<br/>"Sasaki!" Looking up, you looked into his blue eyes and damn, he was really angry. But when he saw the tears in the corners of your eyes, his expression softened. At the last second, he had caught your forearm, saving your life. Relief and also guilt for your terrible behavior rolled over you and made you realize: you didn't want Sasaki to disappear from your life. You didn't want to forget him, even though you might have scared him away - Sasaki was always going to be a part of your life. And you would do anything to make sure he was okay.<br/>"Don't let go." you gasped breathlessly as Sasaki pulled you up by the railing.<br/>"Never." he answered, pulling you over the edge of the railing. Your shaky legs barely kept you upright, but luckily for you, Sasaki continued to hold your arm and support you. You looked up, took a deep breath, and a long, heavy sigh escaped you. Of course you could run away, but that would only make things worse. Apart from the fact that at the sight of him, your heart felt like it was doing somersaults in your chest. How long would you keep lying to yourself? You were head over heels in love with him!</p><p>"We should probably talk sometime," you said quietly, trying a smile, but you were still far too woozy in the head for that. "And I should probably sit down first."<br/>"I think a talk is in order, too," Sasaki said, still holding your arm as if he didn't want to let go under any circumstances. It was the first physical contact you'd had in what felt like forever, and if you were completely honest: you didn't want him to let go either. Even through the leather of the gloves you felt the warmth radiating from his body and you missed this feeling very much.<br/>Sasaki also seemed a little pale around the nose, so it wasn't just you who still had the fright in your bones. The stares that were upon you were becoming less bearable with each passing second, and your shaky knees were demanding a place to sit - and then there was your date with King. You'd have to cancel the date, because in your priorities, Sasaki was definitely above King.<br/>"If I find King, I'll cancel on him - he was already late anyway, I'm sure he's busy," you muttered, trying to peer across the live floor to the other side. There was the meeting point between you and King, but you couldn't make out anything about the distance. Meanwhile, Sasaki let go of your arm, but his hand came down just a little and reached for yours. As if of your own accord, you returned the light pressure in your hand, still all winded and inattentive.<br/>"Maybe he's with Queen, who knows.... Those two are always at each other's throats at these events, aren't they?" you said quietly, looking up at Sasaki. "When I see him, I'll apologize to him. After all, he was late anyway, it's his own fault!"<br/>Sasaki laughed and you looked up at him again. For a split second, all was right with the world; you hadn't nearly fallen to your death, and the two of you hadn't been fighting for weeks. In a perfect world, the two of you were spending a beautiful evening at the Fire Festival and also stood hand in hand on the aisle of the live floor.<br/>But he let go and your hand went cold, your heart disappointed and your mood dampened. You liked it when he reached for your hand. But you had caused such a huge mess, you couldn't blame him either.<br/>"Where do we have enough peace to talk..." you immediately muttered, trying to hide your disappointment. "Ah, I know: the garden!"</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. I didn't mean to hurt you, boy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"You know, this all got out of hand pretty quickly," you admitted, sheepishly plucking at a stray strand of hair sticking out of your hairstyle. You were more than embarrassed that you now had to lay your cards on the table. Your stupid idea, then Nara blabbing to Sasaki like that - this whole thing really wasn't going in your favor!<br/>"You could say that, yeah." replied Sasaki, and he took a hearty swig from his sake bottle. You briefly wondered where he'd even managed to find it so quickly - but it was his special talent to get his hands on alcohol anytime, anywhere. "How did you come up with such a stupid idea, anyway?"<br/>"I don't know, really," you said, rolling your eyes at your own nonsense. "I just wanted to know if you really liked me and weren't just pretending."<br/>Sasaki shook his head and sighed heavily.<br/>"Like I need to pretend to like someone!"<br/>Nodding even more sheepishly, you began fiddling nervously with the sleeve of your kimono.<br/>"Well, and before I knew it.... It was all a huge mess. It wasn't planned that way." You looked up at Sasaki, who was sitting next to you on the large rock by the pond. In the gardens, there were many different fields of flowers and paths, a large pond, and in addition, a small group of rocks that were on the shore of the pond. They were wonderful to sit on and feed the fish, something you were only too happy to do. Since this spot was covered by the drooping branches of the weeping willow as if by a curtain, you had a fitting place to have this very delicate conversation.<br/>"I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, Sasaki. I'm sorry," you finally said. "It won't happen again, I promise."<br/>He snorted and waved it off exaggeratedly.<br/>"Pah, hurt my feelings, my ass-!" he tried to downplay it, but you remembered that first night all too well. When he had climbed up the house just to ask you what was wrong. Sasaki did have feelings and you had hurt them - otherwise he wouldn't have reacted so violently. Apologizing was the least you could do.<br/>"I miss you at Woman Trouble." You leaned forward and stuck your fingertips in the water, so that a school of little fish immediately swam to you and they sipped your fingers. "I thought about you a lot, even when we were fighting."<br/>Sasaki took another sip and looked up thoughtfully, into the branches of the weeping willow above you.<br/>"Did we have fights, then?" he finally asked. "Actually, only couples have fights like that, don't they?"<br/>"Hmmm, I guess that's the big question here," you replied, but continued to just watch the little fish making circles in the pond. Your heart was beating up to your throat and every inch of your body was vibrating just from nervousness. Finally you became honest and it was about what interested you the most: What was the state of your relationship with each other?<br/>"Ugh, I hate this." Sasaki wiped his face and growled as he passed the bottle of sake to you. You took a sip, relieved at the slight burn of the alcohol in your throat - it calmed you instantly. "I'm not good at this sort of thing."<br/>"I know you're not," you reassured him, sighing. "Neither am I. But Sasaki, you're very important to me, and I like spending time with you."<br/>"I feel the same way about you, it's just-" He took off his cap and ran his hand through his wild hair, carefully laying out the words. "I've always thought that it was only because of your work at Maria's-"<br/>"Wait, stop. That's so not true!" you cut him off, sitting a little closer to Sasaki. Finally you were really looking at each other, not just sheepishly passing each other by. "Sasaki. I like you and you know it. Guaranteed it's not just because of my work at Woman Trouble either. I was hoping that I would have shown that so obviously that you would notice!"<br/>"Apparently it wasn't obvious enough!" retorted Sasaki immediately, pulling the bottle from your hand to take another hearty swig from it. "Let's face it, I can't read minds after all..."<br/>You kept silent for a moment, until you finally moved a bit closer to him and nudged him with your shoulder.<br/>"Okay, here's a suggestion: we reset everything to zero for a change," you said, getting only a questioning look in return. "We leave all the chaos behind and do it like normal people. We'll go on a date and then just see how things go from there."<br/>Sasaki looked at you doubtfully for a second.<br/>"We're not like normal people," he finally said. "We're pirates."<br/>You rolled your eyes, but couldn't help laughing.<br/>"I get it - but you know exactly what I mean," you replied, knowing full well that Sasaki was somehow trying to deal with the embarrassment. In the end, he was just as insecure as you about this matter, because serious relationships were rather rare among pirates. It was all about adventure and power, gold and dominance. Love wasn't very common there, but the desire for a relationship with Sasaki nearly drove you crazy.<br/>It robbed you of sleep, made you restless, and haunted your mind day after day. You would give anything just to be with him!</p><p> </p><p>"I have to go back to Woman Trouble soon. It's going to be very busy..." you finally said as the moon rose higher and higher in the sky. The rays of its light fell through the hanging branches of the willow and brought a soft twinkle to your eyes, which only made Sasaki all the more embarrassed. He would never openly admit it, but he really wanted a date with you!<br/>How had King been able to just invite you out like that without feeling so totally stupid? Sasaki had a huge ego and was as confident as could be - but with you, he immediately got it with nervousness and anxiety. What if he made a fool of himself around you?<br/>"When does the Trouble close?" he asked, draining the last of the sake in a single gulp. When was the last time he'd had to work up the courage to ask someone for an ate? It must have been ten years ago, if not longer!<br/>"Huh? Ah, good question..." you said, undoing the barrette in your hair, pulling out the bobby pins, and shaking your head to make the hairdo come loose. Sasaki watched the whole thing speechless and he could hardly believe how beautiful you looked; The wild strands fell into your face and the flowers that were braided into your hair fell down into your lap. "About five o'clock, I guess? We'll see how it goes. After that, though, I have some things to do - accounting."<br/>Sasaki caught himself again, glad that you hadn't noticed his stare. He stood up and held out his hand to you, which you also took immediately and without hesitation. He pulled you up from the floor in one fluid motion and for a moment the radiant smile on your face made him shiver. How much influence you had on him, you could hardly guess. All day long he thought of you in every free minute he could spare, of your laughter and how he teased you. Then you'd yell at him, chirp like an angry little robin and damn if that wasn't absolutely adorable!<br/>"A counter-proposal." he said, and you looked up at him with a questioning look. "I know how busy Woman Trouble is for the Fire Festival. I'll come by around five and we'll have a bite to eat together."<br/>"A date, then?" you asked, and Sasaki could already hear from your tone that you were quite taken with the suggestion. His ego purred at your broad smile, but he pushed it aside. Don't expect too much, don't be disappointed. A good motto for staying grounded - even when it came to you.<br/>"You know what? That sounds like a good plan," you admitted, brushing one of the disheveled strands out of your face. Sasaki wanted so much to tell you how beautiful you were in the moonlight, but he just didn't know how. Instead, he stroked the stray strand behind your ear and sighed lightly.<br/>Someday he would just be able to tell you how stunning you were.<br/>Someday.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Wanna fall in love?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>When you arrived at the Woman Trouble, it was naturally bustling with activity. The staff was busy, there was loud partying and drinking - and you were immediately met by Nara. Her hair was a mess, she was clutching your notebook like a life preserver, and the stress was clear on her face.<br/>"Oh, thank God you're here!" she immediately intercepted you and pushed you through the main room to the stairs, where there was a little more quiet. You could still hear the shouting of the drunks, but it was quieter and at least you understood what Nara was saying to you.<br/>"How do you do it?!" she asked, gesturing wildly. "Keeping track of the kitchen, the employees, organizing the customers!!! I'm freaking out here!"<br/>"It's not that bad once you have experience with it," you replied with a wry smile. Yes, that's how you had felt at first. You could understand Nara's anxiety too well. "I'll go change and then support you."<br/>"Yeah, right, I- Wait! How was your date?" asked Nara, and you swayed your head slightly as you walked up the stairs.<br/>"Ah, I forgot all about King..." you mumbled to yourself as Nara was already called to the next emergency. "I really should apologize to him tomorrow."<br/>"Tell me about it later!", Nara shouted over her shoulder, already almost running into the kitchen, where it seemed to be getting ominously loud and cutlery was being thrown around.<br/>You shook your head and arrived in your room, where the first thing you did was exhale deeply. What an evening! It was really a roller coaster of emotions, with a near-death experience and the overdue talk between you and Sasaki.<br/>The thought alone gave you palpitations again. You had a date with him after the rest of the evening! You absolutely had to save some food from the kitchen before the cooks took the leftovers at the end of their shift.<br/>But you couldn't think about that, after all, you still had a lot to do. You had to change and get back to the first floor of the brothel, because it was after all the most profitable evening of the year!</p><p> </p><p>Many exhausting hours later, you shooed the last guests out of the house, with a smile but very determined. It was already almost five o'clock in the morning, you were fed up with the partying people. The main room was a disaster, it was a mess and the clean up was very unpleasant every year.<br/>Silently you thanked all the gods that you weren't one of the maids - their job was tough as it was, you could hardly imagine what it must have been like that night. All in all, the entire staff had done an excellent job, you thought proudly, sending the cooks off for the evening. You hurriedly asked one of the staff to secure some of the food for you before you made your final tour of the banquet rooms. Black Maria hadn't returned yet, and you had a sneaking suspicion that she wouldn't be back until the afternoon. She spent the Fire Festival every year with Kaido himself, so you already knew not to expect her until the next day.<br/>"Lock the doors. We're through for the day." you instructed Nara, who yawned in exhaustion and headed for the main entrance with one of the staff members. The checklist in your notebook was done and you were soon able to crawl into your room - did Sasaki want to meet you at the side entrance of the Woman Trouble? You hadn't even considered that!<br/>Nervousness crept up the back of your neck once again, making you shudder. What if you made a total idiot of yourself in front of Sasaki? You were tired and hungry, your legs hurt, and really you just wanted to sleep!<br/>Then you remembered the huge mountain of papers waiting on your desk. You were used to going to bed in the morning, but it would take you forever. So your date with Sasaki would really just consist of you filing receipts and entering numbers into the black book. Very romantic, really.<br/>"Nara, say-" you hesitated. Nara liked to blab, what if she used your date as the latest gossip? Then again, she was your best friend and had your back.... "Nara, have you seen if anyone is at the delivery entrance?"<br/>"What?" your friend asked in irritation, yawning heartily once again. "No, I've already locked up by then."<br/>"Ah, I see..." You pressed your lips together, thoughtful. But Nara leaned towards you with a smug glint in her eyes.<br/>"But if you're looking for Sasaki, he snuck in half an hour ago. I had a hunch he was looking for you.... So I sent him upstairs."<br/>You opened your mouth indignantly. And she hadn't told you about it?! Apart from the fact that your room was your private area.<br/>"We'll sort that out later," you grumbled, pushing Nara aside, but she just laughed in the face of your red ears. She really could be a pain in the ass!</p><p> </p><p>When you opened the door to your room, Sasaki was already sitting at the low table in the middle of the room, leafing through your accounts. He didn't look up when you entered - which surprised you, because you could swear that your heart was hammering so hard in your chest that he could hear it.<br/>Then you recognized his reading and took a pike forward to snatch your black book from him.<br/>"Hey! You can't just go digging around in Maria's money matters!" you scolded, upset. "Stop that!"<br/>"Why, you know my finances too!" he retorted, pushing the plate of food towards you. The staff had brought the leftovers from dinner to your room, something you would thank them for later. Still, food wouldn't distract you from- <strong><em>Ohh</em></strong>, was there an omelet?!<br/>Your stomach growled loudly and you realized you needed to eat something first.<br/>"What a night." so you sighed, putting the black book on your desk in the corner of the room and pulling your shirt over your head. The cool night air coming through the open window was pleasant on your skin. For a moment you considered whether it was appropriate to sit down with Sasaki in a loose tank top - but whatever, you were finally off work!<br/>"Oh, damn..." it came back to you. The paperwork, right. <br/>"Eat something first." Sasaki watched your inner back-and-forth as you weighed between a sense of duty and a well-deserved day off. He was right, you finally told yourself, and nodded. The work didn't have to be done until the end of the week, so did this evening really matter? What if you just did it tomorrow...?<br/>You sat down at the table with Sasaki, cross-legged, and for a moment there was silence between you.<br/>"It was busy today?" asked Sasaki, and you immediately groaned theatrically.<br/>"It was awful!" you grumbled, and the self-conscious tension dissipated into thin air. "Last year was bad, but this year those guys really outdid themselves!"<br/>"Probably just because Kyoshiro and I weren't there," Sasaki replied, and he put his coat and hat aside. "We kept those idiots in check."<br/>"Otherwise you always kept them quiet, that's true..." you muttered and nodded. "And that's only because they're afraid of you."<br/>On your plate, you pushed aside what you didn't like - whereupon Sasaki immediately helped himself to it. This trifle felt strangely familiar, so natural, that you could hardly help smiling. As if you had done this a million times already. <br/>"Is there actually anything you won't eat?" you asked instead, and Sasaki shrugged.<br/>"Other than meat - pretty much anything. I have a robust stomach." he said and you laughed.<br/>"I bet that's because of your devil powers!"<br/>"Quite possibly."<br/>The two of you had talked many times before, but never in intimate togetherness. No one else was there - no other crew members, no employees of Maria, no one. You had this time together to yourselves, with no strange pairs of eyes watching you.<br/>It made you nervous and yet it was a relief.</p><p>"Hey, Sasaki." After dinner, you had spread out the most important papers on the table in the middle of the room and got to work. Sasaki sat next to you, dozing off, but ready to talk to you at any time.<br/>"Huh?"<br/>"What do you actually do in your spare time besides partying?" you asked, frowning thoughtfully. "I've never asked you that before, did I?"<br/>"Mmh...", he grumbled and yawned first before answering. "I don't have much free time. I'm either going partying, or I'm taking naps. The usual stuff."<br/>"Ah." You said. As the man in charge of an entire division, he certainly didn't have too much free time - which only made it all the more flattering that he spent that time with you so often.<br/>"And you?" Blue eyes were on you and you hesitated in response. Good question, what did you do when you had some free time?<br/>"Pretty much the same, I'd say," you replied, weighing your head thoughtfully. "But it's not so easy to get a good night's sleep around here. There's always a lot going on."<br/>"You can sleep at my place, if you want to."<br/>Your pen nearly fell out of your hand when Sasaki said that. Wide-eyed, you stared at him for a moment, then shook your head slightly. Had you heard him correctly?<br/>"Not what you think!" he said, laughing at your obvious embarrassment. "Come on, you know I'm not like that. Take it easy."<br/>You sighed and put your papers aside, focusing entirely on Sasaki. If you weren't careful, you'd turn completely red, and you didn't want to give yourself that level of embarrassment. What was it about him that made you so nervous and insecure around him?<br/>"My house is quiet and I'm rarely there anyway," he explained, clearly amused that you were directly thinking about intimacy. Of course he wouldn't object, but everything had its time. "You can go through the garden to the porch - no one else dares go there anyway."<br/>"Because they're all afraid of you," you replied, snorting. "Except me, huh?"<br/>"Except you." he confirmed, leaning forward a bit. You couldn't help but eye Sasaki, and it was hard to believe it was almost seven in the morning already. For two hours he had simply kept you company. You hadn't expected him to be so patient and quiet, but it was incredibly pleasant to be near him. It felt so natural, like you were doing this all the time. <br/>Him being with you and you just passing the time a little bit was the most normal thing in the world, all of a sudden. It was a feeling of being home, of being safe and comfortable - you didn't want it to end.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. If you can't say no</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Towards evening Maria came back to Woman Trouble. You had already inspected the cleanup and taken care of any urgent business, but you were glad when you saw Maria come into the entrance hall.<br/>
"Hello Maria. It's good to have you back." You accepted her coat and respectfully bowed your head to your boss. Maria's hairstyle was a bit disheveled and she seemed tired - it was obvious from her face that the Fire Festival at Kaido's castle had gone into the wee hours of the morning.<br/>
"Would you like something to eat?" you turned to her again, but Maria silenced you with a sweeping gesture of her hand.<br/>
"I heard about your little <em>escapade</em> last night," she said, and you winced a little. Oh dear, you were trouble. "And I'm sure you can guess I'm not thrilled."<br/>
"I'm sorry." you immediately apologized and meant it. You bowed deeply, knowing full well that you had caused Maria worry. Since you were in charge of the house and had gone to the party anyway, you had disappointed Maria.<br/>
"As you should be!" she scolded you gently, but her expression softened a bit. "Was it at least a nice evening?"<br/>
"I finally settled my differences with Sasaki," you answered the secret question in it, and your boss smiled.<br/>
"Well, it's about time." she said, and you followed her into the main hall, where she looked around scrutinizingly. "Things are looking good around here. You've really got the place under control, that's what I like about you."<br/>
Curious, you tilted your head. Why did she say that?<br/>
"I have an assignment for you." Black Maria turned back to you and accepted her pipe, which was handed to her by an employee. "Well, the order isn't really from me. It's from Kaido himself, I'm just delivering the message."<br/>
"From Master Kaido!?" you immediately retorted. "What the- what could Master Kaido possibly want from me?"<br/>
"It's in consultation with Queen, I don't know the exact details. Queen will meet you at the castle in two hours." Your mouth dropped open, you didn't know what to say at all. An order for you? From Kaido himself?!<br/>
"I still have work to do here, and I still have to do the papers-" you immediately babbled, nervous and frantic from one second to the next. "Oh, what if the accounting has to be completely done! I definitely need another three or four days to-"<br/>
"Now calm down." Maria leaned down and patted you on the shoulder. "All I know is that it's about an assignment outside of Wano."<br/>
"Outside?" you inquired, swallowing. "I haven't been anywhere else in years..."<br/>
"Why don't you go there first and not overthink it?" Maria had spoken enough of the pep talk, she stifled a yawn and disappeared into her private chambers.<br/>
You stayed back in the main hall, all excited and anxious. You really should go on a business trip...?</p><p> </p><p>"Hello Queen."<br/>
"Ah, there you are."<br/>
The Live Floor was being cleaned up when you arrived. Queen was keeping an eye on the works, as he did every year. The Live Floor was, after all, his big project and his favorite place on Onigashima. He was pedantic when it came to the Live Floor and the stage.<br/>
"Work is going well, isn't it?" you tried small talk, but Queen waved it off.<br/>
"You don't have to be polite," he said, seeming to have a pretty bad hangover. It really was the same every year - Queen put on his big show, got drunk, and was in a foul mood the next day. "Actually, King wanted to check with you, but he has other business to attend to. He also wanted me to tell you, by the way, that he's sorry he couldn't make it to your date yesterday."<br/>
You frowned slightly. So he hadn't shown up at all? Then you didn't need to apologize either! Lucky you!<br/>
"I'm not his secretary, damn it," you heard Queen mutter, and you focused on him again. "Where was I? Ah, yes."<br/>
He turned to you and handed you a thick envelope, full of papers and instructions. You pulled out the papers and skimmed the first few bills and documents.<br/>
"These are delivery bills, requests, and extremely large amounts of money..." you muttered, looking up at him. "Queen, what exactly is this assignment?"<br/>
"It's a bit complicated.", he admitted and with a wave of his hand, instructed you to follow. "Come, let's discuss this in private."<br/>
In one of the VIP rooms, you joined him at a table, where a crew member also immediately scurried up with something to drink. Queen waved him away and watched you dig through the papers with ever-widening eyes.<br/>
"You can't be serious!" you finally said, staring open-mouthed at Queen. "I can't just-"<br/>
"Oh yes, you can. And you will, because Kaido specifically put you in charge of it," Queen retorted firmly. "Did you think your post as Beast Pirate accountant had only glossy sides? Fancy paperwork and telling people what to do?"<br/>
You didn't give an exact answer, but of course you couldn't think of a clever counter-argument. This assignment was gigantic, extremely dangerous, and you would be on the road for some time. It wasn't exactly a vacation trip, and you were really averse to the task. But since the order came directly from Kaido, there was no escape.<br/>
"I want to take a bodyguard with me. Someone to watch over me.", you said and put the documents back into the envelope, your hands shaking a bit. You'd rather work a hundred extra shifts than do this assignment - but you didn't have a choice.<br/>
"I guess that's smart," Queen agreed with you. "You already have someone in mind?"<br/>
"I want to take Sasaki," you said, as neutrally as possible. Queen hesitated for a moment, but then nodded in agreement.<br/>
"That makes sense, after all, he is the leader of the Armored Division.... By itself, I'd say we can't spare him, but I'll make an exception on this one," Queen agreed with your request. You had the feeling that he just wanted to get rid of you quickly and continue to suffer silently from his hangover. But it was fine with you, because at least you had a bodyguard you could trust.<br/>
"Okay, I'll pass it on to Kaido like this." Queen stood up and rubbed her temples, groaning in annoyance. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get something for this headache. Go and inform Sasaki, will you?"<br/>
"Yeah, got it." you confirmed, tilting your head respectfully.<br/>
"And remember, this is nobody's business but the senior officers and you." You nodded, because of course you would keep this assignment a secret. It was also simply no one else's business. Your stomach rumbled ominously and fear gripped you. For years you had stayed on Onigashima and Wano, because you were worth more as an accountant than trying to be a mediocre fighter. Never in your life would you have thought that your promotion from King would have such serious consequences so quickly!</p><p> </p><p>"Master Sasaki! The accountant is here asking for you." Sasaki looked up from his list as one of his men came to him with the news. He was at the docks, examining the new steel that had been brought to the forge on Onigashima via the transport ship. He was surprised that you asked about him. Was something wrong?<br/>
"Send her to me." he replied, and the young man hurriedly ran to fetch you. Sasaki became a little uneasy, what reason would make you come all the way to the harbor to talk to him? Would you turn him down after all?<br/>
"Hey, Sasaki." You greeted him and he immediately eyed you, looking for signs of rejection. That you told him that it wouldn't work out between the two of you and that you were sorry - but he only saw concern in your eyes and, what worried him even more: fear.<br/>
"Are you okay?" he asked quietly, so that his soldiers couldn't hear you. "You're looking kinda... pale 'round the nose."<br/>
"I-I got an assignment," you answered him, digging your heel into the dirt. You were nervous, because what if he refused your request? "From Master Kaido himself."<br/>
Now Sasaki was even more interested, because Kaido was probably one of the few people he respected.<br/>
"What kind of assignment?" he asked, and it amazed him how uncomfortable the whole thing seemed to you. You were clutching a thick envelope, probably filled to the top with documents, and he was already getting suspicious.<br/>
"I'm being sent to negotiate," you said, hugging the envelope to your chest, "Master Kaido is sending me to Dressrosa to negotiate with Joker."<br/>
"Joker?" he asked immediately, lowering his voice again. He looked to his men, who were still dragging the heavy load, and he pulled you aside so no one could eavesdrop. "You're supposed to negotiate with the Joker?! That crazy bastard?!"<br/>
"Yeah, I know," you sighed, gesturing helplessly. "I'm not cut out for that sort of thing, but Queen said it was part of my duties."<br/>
"I don't like it.", Sasaki said honestly out and you heard the worried undertone. "But if you can't refuse, then I'll accompany you to Dressrosa. Who knows what Joker would do to you if you went alone."<br/>
"I already asked Queen to let me take you with me, as my bodyguard." You looked to the side sheepishly and rubbed your arm. You were a little embarrassed that you had asked for Sasaki right away. But you just knew how strong he was and that you could rely on him. No one else would be able to protect you like he could!<br/>
"Alright, I'll definitely come with you." Sasaki was flattered that you had asked for him right away - even if you hadn't, he wouldn't let you go to that maniac alone. He had already met Joker, and the man was dangerous as well as unpredictable. While he was a good partner for Kaido, Sasaki didn't trust him one bit.<br/>
"When do we leave?" he asked.<br/>
"The day after tomorrow already. I have to inform Maria and brief Nara, since she is to take over my duties," you said, and it was a pity that there were so many pairs of eyes around you. Only too gladly you would fall into Sasaki's arms and thank him for protecting you. Of course, that was his job, but you could feel that he cared about you, too. Did he know more about Joker and Dressrosa than you? Probably!<br/>
"I'm scared," you said and immediately pressed your lips together. Actually, you didn't like to show weakness so openly, but Sasaki could probably guess that you didn't exactly fight for this job.<br/>
He looked at his people, but no one was paying attention to you - they were much too busy with the heavy load - and he put a hand on your shoulder. The light pressure of his hand calmed you a little, because one thing was clear: Sasaki would do anything to make sure you were safe on this journey.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Started slow</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Do you have everything?"<br/>"Yes, I do!"<br/>"But are you really sure?" Nara scurried around you, worried and afraid. You couldn't tell her where you were disappearing to for the next few weeks. Your negotiations with Joker were secret and only you were in on it, as were Sasaki and the small crew that was to accompany you. The harsh reality of your great job as chief accountant hit you once again with full force.<br/>The job was more than adventurous, dangerous and you hadn't slept all night. You were tired and in a bad mood, but at least you would be spending a lot of time with Sasaki!<br/>"It's going to be okay, Nara.", you tried to reassure your best friend and you hugged her. Nara gave you a big hug, sighed, and let go.<br/>"Take good care of yourself.", she said and you nodded, shouldering your travel bag and heading for the port.<br/>On the way, doubts kept creeping up on you as to whether this was all really such a good idea. Dressrosa was beautiful, of course, and an exotic place you didn't know - but what you had heard about Joker was not good. He was a psychopath and if the rumors were already so terrible, you didn't want to know what the truth was. Was he really as crazy and cruel as the rumors said...?</p><p> </p><p>The harbor was bustling as usual and Sasaki's ship was already ready to sail. His ship, the Valhalla, was a floating fortress. He had always thought a lot of being the leader of the armor division and was proud of his achievements - this was again shown in the design of his ship. Well, at least nothing could happen to you on this monster!<br/>"Ah, right on time as usual." Sasaki was already on deck, briefing the small crew, and you stepped onto the deck as well. He had chosen the men he trusted the most - there were only about two dozen people. You sensed that this job was really very secret. Were you the right person for this?<br/>"Hello." you greeted the crew sheepishly, and you received a cool nod from each. They were certainly secretive, or Sasaki wouldn't have chosen them. Was it even possible to sail this ship with so few people?<br/>"Then we are complete." Sasaki turned back to the crew. "You know the drill - we'll sail there, take care of business, and then head back with a little detour."<br/>A detour? You wondered what he meant, but you didn't want to interrupt Sasaki in front of his people. He placed a lot of importance on respect, and even if you were very casual with each other in private circumstances - in public, he was still a Tobi Roppo. He was above you in the hierarchy, at least that's what you assumed. Where exactly did the accountant stand in the crew hierarchy...?<br/>"You have a cabin below deck. Down the corridor and then the last door on the right," he instructed, snapping you out of your musings. You were a bit irritated by his cold tone, but you just nodded and then hurried below deck. Probably professionalism had to be maintained, you thought. Or, at least, you hoped so. Not that he'd end up ditching you after all?<br/>"Last door on the right...", you muttered to yourself and finally arrived at your place for the next days. Curious, you pushed down the heavy handle and opened the door. It wasn't a big cabin, of course, but it had a small bathroom and a bed. You were used to the futons after all the time on Onigashima; such a bed was probably much too soft for you now!<br/>After only a few minutes, there was a knock and you invited the visitor in. It was Sasaki who closed the door behind him and sighed for the first time.<br/>"Sorry, I would have liked to be more friendly to you," he said immediately and you gave him a big smile.<br/>"Don't worry, I know you have a reputation to uphold," you replied. On the inside, however, you were of course glad that it was only for appearances. You were part of the same crew and there was nothing more and nothing less.... Well, at least not on the outside. "Sasaki, I'm really glad I have you with me."<br/>He didn't seem to know what to say to that. But you saw him roll his shoulders in embarrassment and he cleared his throat, which made you a little embarrassed as well.<br/>"We're about to leave, I don't have much time," he finally said with a more serious tone. "It will take us about four days to reach Dressrosa. From there on, you'll always stay close to me."</p><p>You nodded in agreement, because after all, Sasaki was much more experienced in such things as business negotiations. Why had Kaido sent you again? You felt much more comfortable among your books!<br/>"Joker is not to be taken lightly. He may be a business partner of Master Kaido, but he has no problem killing people simply because they looked at him in a funny way."<br/>Your stomach lurched nervously as he said that so easily. Wasn't Sasaki worried at all?<br/>"But that's what I'm here for," he continued, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "I'll make sure nothing happens to you - you can count on that."<br/>"I know you will." You searched his gaze, the blue eyes you liked so much. Sasaki might always look annoyed, but the blue of his eyes was simply beautiful. How you would love to just sink into them, stare at him for hours upon hours until you couldn't hold open your own eyes....<br/>"Hey, are you listening to me?" He snapped his fingers in front of your face and you startled, embarrassed, nodding frantically.<br/>"Sure, I'm all ears!" you said, but Sasaki knew that wasn't true. He growled impatiently, but continued.<br/>"This is important, so stop dreaming." You nodded again, listening to him intently once more. "We'll meet Joker, negotiate, and leave. No spontaneous escapades, are we clear?"<br/>"Understood!" you confirmed, resisting the urge to salute. "But, um, Sasaki..."<br/>"Do you have any questions?"<br/>"Well, yes, I do," you said meekly. "Just now on deck, you said something about a detour. What's that all about?"<br/>"Ah, yes. We're stopping briefly at one of the transport ports to load up some goods," you got as an answer. "Since we're already sailing past it anyway, I've taken it on directly."<br/>"How long will we be underway?" you asked, and Sasaki weighed his head thoughtfully.<br/>"That depends on how well things go on Dressrosa. Two weeks or so, if the weather cooperates."<br/>You had a lot more questions, about your safety and what else to expect on Dressrosa. But you didn't want to keep Sasaki any longer, so you nodded gratefully and smiled slightly. What would you do without him? He had the entire trip planned out and was honestly concerned for your safety, so what else could you fear?<br/>"If there's anything - my cabin is right across the corridor." Sasaki turned away and opened the door, but then hesitated briefly. You wanted to say something, and so did he, but it was such a fine line between duty and feelings. This job still scared the hell out of you, but on the other hand, you had a whole two weeks with Sasaki. On Dressrosa he wouldn't leave your side and that alone made your heart do somersaults.<br/>"Thank you," you only managed to say. "For coming along, I mean. I really appreciate it."<br/>"I'd barely have a moment's peace if you sailed to Joker alone. So completely without protection." he answered you and for a moment there were unspoken things between you again. Until now you hadn't talked about what exactly was going on between you. You liked him, he liked you - but when you told each other openly, there was no turning back. Then the cards were open on the table and there was the possibility of being seriously hurt. By all appearances, that scared not only you.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. I'm inclined to try</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Who would have thought that such an exciting journey could be so boring? You had excitedly gone on deck to leave, but after you had left the Wano waterfall behind you - boredom. In retrospect, you also asked yourself what you had expected. The sea was beautiful, sparkling away as the mid-morning sun slowly but surely warmed your back.<br/>The weather on Onigashima was unpredictable, it could change at any time. Was it the same on the open sea?<br/>Out of the corner of your eye, you watched Sasaki, who was bent over a map with the navigator. The Valhalla was a monstrous ship, and on the upper deck there was a large wooden table, somewhat reminiscent of a banquet table. Sasaki didn't do things by halves, even in the design of his ship!<br/>You couldn't help but stare at him from the bow. Looking at Sasaki like that, your heart warmed and your stomach lurched wildly. No one would be able to make you feel more secure than him, even if you had to audition in front of Joker himself!<br/>"Hey, Numbers-Witch." It took a moment for it to click. He was talking to you!<br/>A man from the crew came up to you and tried to get your attention. Numbers-Witch...?<br/>"Huh?" you asked dumbly, frowning. Impatiently, however, he waved you off and nodded to the upper deck.<br/>"The boss wants to see you. <em><strong>Now</strong></em> if you don't mind, we all have enough to do here." You tried to ignore the annoyed undertone, but it was very clear that you were not very welcome as a guest. Sasaki's people were drilled, he preferred strict discipline in his division. A non-working guest was not welcome on the Valhalla - you couldn't blame them. Actually, they only chauffeured you, because your real escort was Sasaki himself.<br/>"All right, thanks," you said, and went up the stairs to the upper deck. The wood of the railing was sturdy and your fingers ran over many scratches, nicks and damage. This ship had seen many battles, you thought, and your admiration for Sasaki's strength grew once again. He was so impressive, while you were really just the damn bookkeeper.<br/>"You wanted to see me?" you finally asked as you approached the table. You saw the large nautical chart, spread out and with notes on it. Before you could take a closer look, Sasaki already sent the navigator away and the two of you were alone.<br/>"In order for this whole thing not to be a fiasco, you need a basic course in negotiation." Sasaki's tone was cool and distant, and you knew that outwardly the two of you could be nothing more than members of the same crew. It was no more than that - at least in public.<br/>"A basic course?" you inquired, frowning in confusion. You didn't get the feeling that Sasaki was all that patient when it came to negotiations. "What do you have in mind?"<br/>"We're docking at Azure Peak tomorrow. There's an outpost there of one of our trading partners.", Sasaki explained and he pointed to a small island on the map.<br/>You leaned on the table, so small was the dot on the map. For a moment, you both leaned over the tabletop so that you could smell his scent over the salt of the sea. You thought about the evenings together at the Woman Trouble and how much you'd like to snuggle up to him again just once, drunk and with nothing but fun on your mind. Only inches separated you, but you had to focus!<br/>"Azure Peak, okay." you tried to pull yourself together, chewing on your bottom lip. The pain pulled you out of your fantasies, but only distracted Sasaki all the more.</p><p>Unnoticed by you, he stared at you, watching you lick your lips absentmindedly. He took a deep breath and cleared his throat - it took all his willpower not to keep staring at you like a love-struck teenager.<br/>"Azure Peak." he agreed, pulling some papers out from under the map. "Our contact's name is Karman. He gives a lot of weapons to all kinds of customers. And Kaido wants a better price."<br/>"Which you want <em>me</em> to negotiate?" you asked, and Sasaki nodded.<br/>"Karman's not too big a fish. We're talking about mundane things like guns and ammunition. But in large quantities, it can get expensive quickly." he said and you looked at the records. There was information about the deals, Azure Peak, and the contact man himself. Where did all this information even come from?<br/>"What do I need to pay attention to?" It was all a lot at once, and you felt a little lost in the face of all this information. Good thing you had Sasaki with you.<br/>"Sit down." You complied with his request and together you sat down at the wooden table. He took down your papers and spread them out in front of you. "How would you start?"<br/>You considered.<br/>"I'd start by looking at the contact man himself," you finally said after a few quiet minutes. "He's interested in making a quick buck. There are a lot of bars, clubs, and brothels in Azure Peak, so he's probably not uncomfortable in the company of crooks."<br/>"Good, go on."<br/>You thought again, studying the papers further. Sasaki didn't push you, he sat next to you and waited for you to continue.<br/>"Okay, I need to develop strategies to manipulate these people," you finally came up with the bright idea. Sasaki nodded, grinning slightly. "That means I need to gather as much information as possible in advance, and then I can base my approach on that."<br/>"Very well."<br/>You tilted your head and a smug grin crept onto your face as well. It was just as well you got a chance to practice. Joker was in a whole different league, but instead of just fear and nervousness, a little anticipation gripped you as well. You were going to show everyone that you weren't just a numbers-witch! You were going to be in league with Sasaki so you could be his equal.<br/>"You'll come up with a strategy and then get Karman to lower the price by 40%," Sasaki said and you gulped. That much, and on your first try!<br/>"That much..." you spoke your thoughts aloud and pondered. "Are there any stores on Azure Peak?"<br/>"Yes, there are a few stores in the small town. Do you have something specific in mind?", Sasaki asked but you shook your head.<br/>"You think I need practice, so far so good. But then I have to prepare everything myself," you said and gathered all the documents. As you stood up, you felt his curious gaze following you. Rarely did you take things so directly, for what did you have to do on Onigashima except to hit the books and manage the Woman Trouble? Of course, your zeal and ambition in this matter piqued Sasaki's interest - but he would have to be patient until you met Karman in person.<br/>"I guess I'll go get ready, then," you said, giving him a cheerful sideways glance. You were starting to like this whole thing! Even if that was probably more because Sasaki kept looking after you until you arrived at the lower deck.</p><p> </p><p>After a trip to the stores of the city - with personal protection, of course - you were back at Valhalla, preparing for your first real trial. Nervousness crept up your spine and made you look in the mirror again and again.<br/>The small bathroom in your cabin was tiny, but at least there was a mirror above the sink. You checked your appearance again and smoothed the dress on your body.<br/>Karman was a gambler, a nasty son of a bitch, and apparently a deluded idiot as well. You had studied the records carefully and planned to use your good looks as a weapon. You were tall, taller than most people. Normally you didn't care too much about your appearance, but dressed up like that, men and women would turn their heads to you. Would it really be that easy to wrap this Karman around your finger? Once you had him on the hook, it would be easy to convince him - at least in your theory.<br/>"Showtime!" you said to yourself, putting the white fur coat over your shoulders. You felt so much more elegant and powerful in your black dress, which had a wide side slit up to your hips and showed a lot of leg. Although you were still a bit wobbly with the first steps on the high shoes, but that was surely just a matter of practice.<br/>On deck, the light of the sun blinded you for a moment as you heard the first whistle of one of the men. Your outfit seemed to find general approval among the crew and it flattered you - but Sasaki's reaction was much more important to you.<br/>Blue eyes were fixed on you and even if Sasaki would never openly show his interest in you in front of his men... his gaze made your skin tingle.<br/>"We can go." You stopped in front of Sasaki and you waited for his reaction, his answer, anything that would betray an emotion. But nothing happened, only that he nodded and left the ship with you. He instructed his men that you would be back by midnight at the latest and stayed close to you as you made your way to Karman's estate.<br/>The people on the street parted in front of you and Sasaki and you couldn't tell if it was because of him or you. People made way for you as you strutted through the crowd like nothing in the world could touch you. You were only focused on not losing your balance on the high heels under any circumstances - but it looked like you were exalted above all the people on this island.<br/>Sasaki behind you as your bodyguard emphasized this image even more and you made it your goal to become exactly this person for negotiations. All this was just an act, it was a role that you had to put on from now on like a mask when needed. Was it like that for all the officers of the Beast Pirates? Were they just playing their parts?<br/>"It suits you well." Sasaki had caught up to you a little more and murmured the words to you so softly that you almost missed him over the commotion in the street. Hot lava gathered in your stomach, giving you a rapturous smile on your lips as he continued. "You should wear it more often."<br/>You gave Sasaki an amused and flattered sideways glance, which he returned, and you firmly resolved to dress up like this more often from now on. Even if it only served to turn Sasaki's head and to elicit compliments from him.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Dressed to impress</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"I have an appointment with Karman." The henchman at the main entrance to the mansion eyed you - lingering conspicuously long with his eyes on your neckline - and then looked at Sasaki. Your bodyguard stood behind you with his arms folded, wordless but with such a menacing aura that the henchman let you in without further bitching.<br/>You put your shoulders back and lifted your chin to strut into the front hall of the mansion. It was a huge mansion, pompously furnished, and if you hadn't been so mercilessly tense and nervous, you might even have been impressed. But your senses were sharpened, which you attributed to the fear in your stomach.<br/>"You must be Kaido's negotiator." A greasy mafia boss wannabe appeared at the top of the huge staircase and he spread his arms. "I'm flattered that Kaido would send me such a beauty."<br/>"Master Kaido, if you please," you corrected him in a cold voice. "And I am not just a negotiator, but the accountant of Master Kaido himself."<br/>Karman faltered, irritated by your brash speech. You walked a scrap forward to the foot of the stairs and tilted your head.<br/>"I'm confused, Karman. I thought you were expecting me?"<br/>He laughed, embarrassed and unsure.<br/>"Why yes, I was." he agreed and finally got moving, hurrying down the stairs and coming to a stop in front of you. He was two heads shorter than you - no wonder, since you were already up to Sasaki's shoulders - and had to look up at you. From there he had to have an excellent view of your cleavage, the way his eyes gleamed.<br/>"I haven't had my coat taken from me, nor do I have a drink in my hand," you growled in an ice-cold voice, and at a nod, the coat was taken from your shoulders.<br/>"Your companion looks so familiar. I'm sure I've seen his wanted poster only recently." Karman seemed to lose his composure a little in the face of Sasaki's death glare, but you just waved it off.<br/>"It's not safe to travel alone at the moment," you said, leaning down a little. "So can we finally get started?"<br/>"Why, yes." Karman's gaze darted to Sasaki, who was standing behind you, only to look menacing. "However, I think a private conversation is in order?"<br/>Out of the corner of your eye, you glanced at Sasaki, who didn't move an inch.<br/>"But of course," you reluctantly agreed. You couldn't show weakness in situations like this, you told yourself. Even if it meant you would be alone with that disgusting arms dealer.<br/>"Wait here." you turned to Sasaki, fervently hoping he could read your steady gaze. It'll be fine, you tried to tell him. If I need you, I'll call for you.<br/>He looked at you for a moment, but then just nodded silently and you looked back at Karman.<br/>"I still don't have a drink."</p><p> </p><p>A little boring small talk full of self-congratulation and three drinks later you were sitting in the tastelessly furnished study. You listened incessantly to how great Karman was at his job and what an incredible guy he was. Would all negotiations be like this? Did you have to butter up those sleazy dealers until you got what you wanted?<br/>"Impressive, really." you growled, scowling into your empty glass. "As incredibly interesting as I find your latest conquest, and believe me, I do-" You stood up and ran your fingers over the sinfully expensive desk in front of you. Elegantly, you walked around it and set your glass down on one of the piles of papers. Karman wanted to say something, to ask you not to do that, but you gave him a seductive look.<br/>You wanted to end this thing. Kaido would get his 40% perk and you were rid of that greasy creep. Then you went back to Sasaki, who was surely still waiting for you on the spot in the entrance hall.<br/>"Really, your story is exciting. But let's get to the fun part, huh?" you asked, sitting down on the corner of the desk, crossing your legs. "Surely you wouldn't mind a little fun."<br/>Karman's gaze traveled up your calves and you felt his lust for you - it was sickening. But that was the role you had chosen for yourself. There was no changing that now.<br/>"Really, so you find negotiations and numbers pleasurable?" he asked, leaning back. His look was clear and you smiled, hoping he didn't realize how gross you found him.<br/>"Oh, please," you purred, running your hand over his lapel. "A real lady doesn't go for it like that on the first date, you know that."<br/>"Yeah, and what a lady you are..." grunted Karman, leaning forward toward your touch. You grinned, because he really did just go for you like that. Who would have thought it? Was it really that easy?<br/>"How much of a perk does Master Kaido want this time? He's already paying the best price, isn't he?"<br/>You swayed your head slightly, seemingly thoughtful.<br/>"I want seventy percent off," you finally said, and Karman choked on his drink.<br/>"Seventy fucking percent?!" he coughed and you patted him on the back, continuing to smile. "You're not getting that much, no way."<br/>"Oh, I will," you murmured softly, stroking his back now. Your movements were gentle, yet emphatic, and you gave him a lascivious look. "Because I always get what I want, you know."<br/>Karman swallowed and opened his mouth, but not a single sound came out. Sultrily, you leaned down a little, inches from his face. He reeked of liquor and cigars, it was simply disgusting - but you couldn't make a face. It was all an act, you told yourself. The end justifies the means.<br/>"I can't, I-- Thirty percent. That's the best I can do," Karman growled, but you shook your head.<br/>"No sweetheart, that's not good enough for me," you said in a raspy voice, grabbing his tie. "I want seventy."<br/>"F-fifty, my final offer." You did enjoy how easily he surrendered to you. He squirmed like a dirty little worm under your touch. Something told you that you would get more than fifty percent out of him.<br/>"I want sixty percent. And you're already making me very unhappy with that." You batted your eyelashes, smiling mischievously. "Who would want to make a lady like me sad, huh?"<br/>"Okay, sixty." His voice was high and you didn't have to look down to know he had an erection. Ugh, this guy was disgusting!<br/>"So we agree, wonderful." You rose from his desk and smoothed your dress. You turned your back on Karman and grimaced in disgust. Let's get away from this scumbag! "I have a lot of work to do, my dear."<br/>"Surely this won't be your last visit?" he asked immediately, jumping straight up out of his chair. He hurried around the desk and opened the heavy door to the corridor for you. "I'd love to see you again."<br/>"Oh, yes, I'm sure you would," you murmured, putting on another fake smile. "As soon as I'm around, I'll definitely pop back in."<br/>Of course you wouldn't.<br/>Not under any circumstances!</p><p> </p><p>As expected, Sasaki was still standing in the same spot in the entrance hall, arms folded and intimidating. The guards at the front door seemed uncomfortable around him, and as you appeared at the top of the stairs, you saw a small spark light up in his eyes.<br/>Elegantly you strutted down the stairs, your eyes fixed firmly on Sasaki. Actually, you were just trying not to trip on the high heels and break your neck by falling down the stairs. To the outside world, however, it had to look downright graceful, because all eyes in the entrance hall were on you. Karman's henchmen were staring at you, and even Sasaki couldn't take his eyes off you. Admittedly, it really flattered your ego a lot.<br/>When you arrived at the landing, one of the henchmen immediately scurried up and handed you your fur coat. You nodded to Sasaki, who played along and took the coat. You turned your back to him and he put the coat over your shoulders - a rather submissive gesture, but you had an important role to play here after all. You were guaranteed to get an earful from him later, but at that moment it was all about keeping up appearances.<br/>"I'll keep an eye on the upcoming deliveries," you turned to Karman and nodded at him. "And the bills better not be too high, sweetheart."<br/>He nodded at you and you were finally able to leave, followed by Sasaki out into the warm summer night.</p><p> </p><p>Silently you made your way through the now emptying city. People were going home, it was getting late, and the air was cooling your spirits a bit.<br/>"Are we out of earshot of his minions?" you asked Sasaki quietly, and he just hummed in agreement. Relieved, you exhaled and your shoulders relaxed again.<br/>"Finally, did you see how disgusting that guy was?!" you immediately ranted, and the role of cool negotiator and accountant immediately fell away from you. "And the way he was staring at me, it was so <em><strong>disgusting</strong></em>-!"<br/>"Don't get so upset, that's just the way these guys are," Sasaki retorted, closing in on you. "Did you get your forty percent?"<br/>"Eww, I had to really hit on him for that," you replied, pulling the coat tighter around your shoulders. "But I got a whole sixty percent for it!"<br/>"Sixty?", Sasaki inquired and you could clearly hear that he was impressed. "Hah, not bad."<br/>"Not bad for an exercise, huh?" you bragged, pressing your shoulder against him. "I know Joker's a whole different collar size - but I'm a little proud of myself already."<br/>"With good reason." Your touch was returned as Sasaki wrapped an arm around your waist and pulled you closer. The streets were nearly empty except for you, and you snuggled up to him as you walked, your heart rejoicing.<br/>You could finally be close to Sasaki again - it had been weeks since you had been close to him. It felt like half an eternity, and finally you could feel his body heat against your skin again as he held you close.<br/>"Still, that asshole was just sickening," you sighed and snuggled closer to him. Sasaki growled in agreement and stopped, pulling you a little tighter against him and burying his face in your hair. You sighed deeply and wrapped your arms around his torso. You didn't know such intimate touches from him, it felt almost possessive. <br/>You enjoyed it all the more, even though it was over as quickly as he had surprised you with it. He let go of you and you smiled at him, feeling way more relaxed by his hug alone.<br/>This trip was going to be really interesting...</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. We hide out in the back</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Excitedly, you ran up to the railing and jumped up and down. Dressrosa looked impressive from afar and you could hardly wait to go ashore. The weather was stunning, the sun was shining and you could already feel the summer warmth in the sea breeze. Was it always summer on Dressrosa?<br/>You had read a lot about the different places in the New World, but you hadn't left Wano for years. Since Maria had taken you in, you were always working and paying debts. That's why it was all the more exciting that you could finally see Dressrosa.<br/>"Sasaki, you just have to let me go through town," you turned to the man to your right, who only growled in annoyance. "I promise-no, I swear I'll keep a fab eye out."<br/>"Have you forgotten your mission already?" he asked sourly, but you just waved it off cheerfully.<br/>"Oh, no. But I just want to see something other than Onigashima!" you retorted, swaying from one leg to the other, completely overwhelmed with your energy.<br/>Sasaki next to you remained calm, as if he was expecting a coming disaster. That was his job, of course, because that's what he was there for on this trip, after all.<br/>"Oh come on Sasaki, don't look so grumpy," you teased, leaning over to him. "After all, Dressrosa is the land of love and passion."<br/>He was silent for a moment, but then just sighed.<br/>"Don't get too excited," he said, and you didn't like the serious, worried look on his face at all. "I don't trust this whole thing. Joker is a psychopath and I'm expecting the worst."<br/>"And that would be...?" you inquired, curbed in your energy however. Sasak snorted, but didn't give you an answer. That he remained silent was answer enough. Was he just trying to spoil your mood, or were you really running naively to your doom?</p><p> </p><p>The underground port was dark and noisy, that was your first impression. Many ships were docked at the docks, loading crate after crate of weapons and drugs. Business seemed to be very good, with all the hustle and bustle....<br/>"Oh, toys!" you exclaimed, leaning over the railing to get a better look. The colorful toys were hauling the boxes and goods. They bounced, rolled and squeaked across the docks as they did so, and all the bright colors and many sounds almost made you a little dizzy. Onigashima was so peaceful and quiet, all this hustle and bustle was almost unfamiliar to you.<br/>"Of course, what else..." It had already become a habit for Sasaki to stand either beside or behind you. He had his arms crossed and was looking toward the jetty, where by all appearances the reception committee was already on its way to meet you. You saw Trebol and Sugar, two of Joker's high-ranking officers. In the files on him, you had read as much as you could about his subordinates. He was only too happy to call them his family, but you knew what they were - a means to an end. Sasaki vastly underestimated you if he truly believed you had not prepared adequately for this mission.<br/>"Let me do the talking," he instructed, but you didn't take it. This was your mission and you were the negotiator!<br/>So you walked straight past Sasaki, who was already leaving the ship.<br/>"Hey, what the-" he tried to hold you down, but you escaped him by a hair's breadth. You exited the ship and strutted down the dock, heading straight for Trebol and Sugar They didn't seem surprised at all to see you instead of Sasaki, so it only stood to reason that they had been checking up on you as well.<br/>"Trebol. Sugar.", you greeted them both and nodded politely. "Pleased to meet you."<br/>Sugar said nothing and continued to eat her grapes, but Trebol leaned in toward you and pulled up the snot in his nose. Inwardly, you shook with disgust, but outwardly, once again, you couldn't let on.<br/>"That last negotiator wasn't so pretty, though, neh?" purred Trebol, moving a little closer. "That'll make Doffy very happy, huh."</p><p>"Too kind, thank you." you replied, crossing your arms behind your back to push your shoulders forward. "I suppose I'm being offered a place to stay."<br/>Now Sugar stepped forward and ate another grape from the tip of her finger.<br/>"Why would we do that?" she asked coolly, and an icy shiver ran down your spine. Not only was the girl creepy, but she also exuded a very cold authority. She was definitely someone you had to keep a close eye on.<br/>"I'm certainly not going to spend the night in this <em>bunker</em>, and in a shoebox of a cabin at that," you said, coolly but politely. "I don't expect a royal suite, but a bed would be quite comfortable."<br/>"What makes you think you need a bed?" Sugar glared at you, while Trebol just watched your cold cold exchange. Behind you, Sasaki now arrived as well, giving you an annoyed sideways glance.<br/>"I doubt I'm important enough for Joker to receive me directly. I suppose he'll make me wait until tomorrow or even the day after tomorrow. Not that I'm particularly bothered by that. But I do expect reasonable accommodations when I'm already sitting my butt off here waiting to be talked to. Surely we can agree on that, can't we?" There was a moment of silence at your insinuation.<br/>Then Sugar chortled and ate another grape. You felt Sasaki tense up next to you - because who would talk like that to these two important members of Joker's family?<br/>"I can't disagree with that," the girl admitted, nodding. "All right, you'll get your accommodations at the Starlight Hotel. It's a very upscale establishment."<br/>You tilted your head in thanks as Sugar looked up at Sasaki.<br/>"Two rooms?" she asked, and you cleared your throat.<br/>"One room." you replied. Sasaki didn't have to mother you, constantly chasing you until it was time to negotiate with Joker. You could very well take care of yourself!<br/>Sasaki narrowed his eyes a little, but then nodded in agreement.<br/>"One room." he confirmed.<br/>"Good, someone will be here in twenty minutes to collect your luggage. Follow me now." Sugar turned and gave you another look over his shoulder. "And I won't tolerate any dawdling."<br/>With one last look at Sasaki, you followed Sugar and Trebol as they led you to the exit of the underground port. All the way across the docks, you felt Sasaki's angry gaze on you. That you had acted so single-handedly had not necessarily been the best idea in the world - but you were determined to prove your strength to him.<br/>Sasaki seemed to really believe that you couldn't take care of yourself. That just because you were an accountant, you wouldn't be up to this whole thing. He seemed only too happy to forget that you were a pirate too!<br/>"Roku here will take you as far as the hotel. You'll get a good room until Joker has time for you. We'll let you know then," Sugar said, and since Trebol was just standing next to her, you had a hunch that he was just a bodyguard in the end, too. Sugar actually scared you a little, but you consciously pushed that aside. You didn't want to know what was wrong with her - she was certainly dangerous.<br/>Reaching the end of the dock, she turned to you and eyed you appraisingly.<br/>"Of course we will inform Joker that you have arrived. Until he will see you, you are free to move about Dressrosa, at least in the civilian areas. You will be informed if you are needed." With that, you were then dismissed, with a sinking feeling in your stomach that this was going to get very complicated.</p><p> </p><p>The Hotel Starlight was a beautiful hotel, it was noble and yet not too lavish, so that you stood out unpleasantly. That was only right for you, because you didn't want to deal with the rich bigwigs!<br/>"Not bad.", you mumbled and entered, went to the counter and tapped the golden bell. The receptionist came to you immediately, smiling brightly.<br/>"Welcome to the Starlight Hotel! May I check you in?" she asked exuberantly and you smiled back sheepishly. People in Wano were very quiet and reserved, so this very warm and cordial welcome was almost a little uncomfortable for you. Were all the people here like that?<br/>"Hi, I- Um, there's supposed to be a room reserved for me, I think?"<br/>"I'll check. The name please?" the lady asked and you told her your name. She ran her finger down the list in the huge book in front of her and her smile widened a bit. "Ah, here."<br/>"Wonderful, where's my room? My luggage should be arriving soon, too-" you said, and she slid a key across the counter to you.<br/>"We'll bring your luggage, don't worry about it. Your husband is already in the room. There was a misunderstanding, so we first gave you a room with too small a bed-but your husband corrected that right away."<br/>You stared at her, wordlessly.<br/>Your <em><strong>what now</strong></em>-?<br/>"My husband?" you inquired, putting on a smile so as not to unnerve her. That lousy son of a bitch had really...! "Tall, green hair, and looks like he's about to rip your head off?"<br/>"Th-That's about right, yeah." the receptionist agreed, and you growled in confirmation. Was he for real?!<br/>"Thank you so much." you said in a honeyed voice and grabbed your key.<br/>"Third floor, down the hall and to the left!" the nice woman called out, but you were already trudging furiously towards the huge staircase and just waved gratefully. How had Sasaki even managed to arrive at the hotel before you?<br/>On the third floor, you angrily stomped across the hall and opened the door to room 108. Sasaki stood at the window, watching the street in front of the hotel, as you threw the door into the lock behind you and briefly examined the room. To the left, a door led into the bathroom and the spacious room taunted you with the huge bed in the middle. It was a wonderful bed, without question. The blankets and pillows looked heavenly soft and everything in you screamed for a shower and a nap - but there were more important things.<br/>"Husband?!" you immediately clamored, feeling your cheeks and ears turn red. "How did you even get here so fast? And why <em>husband</em>?!"<br/>However, Sasaki only growled in annoyance and turned to you.<br/>"First of all, why don't you yell even louder, then all the people in this building will hear you," he reprimanded you, and you screwed up your face. He was right about that, at least, damn it. "And secondly, I'm here to take care of you. So let me do my job too, and don't try doing this whole thing on your own!"<br/>Sasaki seemed honestly upset that you had just left the ship without him. You wanted to prove yourself, but he saw the danger in your inexperience and tried to thwart you. A part of you understood his prudence, his concern and also the caution - but you also wanted to finally prove to him that you were not helpless.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. It's been far too long</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><br/>
"Why won't you let me go out by myself?"<br/>
"You know perfectly well. This isn't a vacation, in case you forgot!" Sasaki was still leaning against the window, looking outside. There was a lot of activity on the streets, but that was probably normal in towns on Dressrosa. People were shopping, eating at picture-perfect restaurants, and enjoying the summer day. You, on the other hand, had to sit in that hotel room and be bored while other people were having fun. Unfair!<br/>
"You're acting like I'm some wanted criminal!" you clamored, and Sasaki just looked at you wordlessly until something clicked. "Ah, shit, yeah- pirates. But you know what I mean!"<br/>
He just growled irritably and you sighed dejectedly. He certainly wouldn't be talked into a shopping spree that easily, you thought sullenly, and snorted. Good, then you would take a hot shower first!<br/>
"How can you be such a pain..." you grumbled, opening your bag to dig out some clothes. "For real."<br/>
"Can you cut out that nagging!!!" growled Sasaki behind you, but you just wheeled around and gave him an angry look.<br/>
"No, I can't!" you hissed and disappeared into the bathroom, slamming the door behind you. Why were you so mad at him anyway? He was just doing his job, that's all. You had asked him to accompany you. Now he was doing everything necessary to keep you safe and it didn't suit you either.<br/>
Frustrated, you pulled your top over your head and looked in the mirror. The bathroom was very large and so classily decorated that you felt a little out of place. The golden ornaments were polished to a high shine and you ran your fingertips over the edge of the large bathtub, which strangely enough stood in the middle of the room.<br/>
Through your years on Onigashima, you were used to the bathhouse, not a bathroom on this scale for yourself. In the corner was the shower with glass doors and even the shower head seemed to be gold-plated. All in all, you hardly felt up to this place.<br/>
"Shit.", you cursed softly to yourself and turned on the shower. You let the rest of your clothes fall to the floor, in a small pile. With this you could wash off the rough days at sea, with the hot water and the lilac shampoo that was ready in small bottles in the shower for guests.<br/>
As you washed the shampoo from your hair, you thought about Sasaki. Not only about him, but also about this whole thing with the trip and the shared room. Would you sleep in a bed with Sasaki? Just thinking about it made butterflies fly loops in your stomach. If you just thought about it, your physical contact with him could become more intimate than anything you'd ever had before. You felt the hot tingling in your abdomen and sighed as the water ran over your skin. All too often you had thought of Sasaki while spending time with yourself. In your mind, it was always perfect and erotic to the highest degree - the truth was certainly quite different. Why was everything always so rosy and perfect in your fantasy, when the reality was often much dirtier?</p><p> </p><p>Sasaki tried with all his might to concentrate on his work. He watched the square in front of the hotel and above all - the three observers of Joker were well hidden, but he had enough experience with such things to spot them easily. Normally Sasaki would be down by now and chase these guys away, but then only new spies would come and keep an eye on you. Joker was paranoid and cautious, apart from being totally nuts.<br/>
That wasn't even Sasaki's biggest problem. He heard the rush of water and involuntarily thought of you, in the shower. His concentration wavered tremendously, drifted off and if he only thought about you sleeping together in the same bed.... Well he drifted off to some completely different thoughts than work, spies and Joker.<br/>
But he had to suppress that under all circumstances. Sasaki could hardly think of anything else but you, your body - especially since your appearance at Azure Peak. The unconditional self-confidence looked good on you, even better than the provocative dress. Just thinking about that forbidden plunging neckline made him feel a lot hotter under his coat. The way you had given yourself, that cool authority, that had impressed him after all. He had to admit that he had always thought you were a bit naive. Your work as an accountant was not very adventurous, so he had thought that you had to do most of the work on this mission. But then you had negotiated so much money out of Karman, just like that and with a playful ease that took his breath away.<br/>
It dismayed Sasaki very much that he got such weak knees with you. When was the last time he had felt such emotions for someone? It had been years, what felt like eternities, and it was intentional. Closing himself off made him unapproachable and now you had become his weak point. So high up in the pirate rankings, you had to be a fortress and offer no surface for attack, friend or foe. And yet Sasaki wanted only you, there was already no other option. He had been weighing it up for years, keeping his feelings for you under wraps, and all he really wanted was to enjoy his time with you.<br/>
Then you came up with your stupid plan until you couldn't avoid a clarifying conversation. To top it all off, he now accompanied you to the land of love and you shared a room, a <strong><em>bed</em></strong> - it really couldn't get any cheesier. You could almost think that someone had thought this up!</p><p> </p><p>With wet hair and in fresh clothes, you came out of the bathroom and stopped briefly next to Sasaki.<br/>
"Sorry." you grumbled, but didn't look at him. "The nagging, I mean."<br/>
He was irritated for a moment, because you rarely apologized for such a small thing. He knew how quick-tempered you could be, and that this ranting was mostly just talk. He liked that about you, because when you talked yourself into a rage like that, it was adorable rather than intimidating. If a little annoying at times.<br/>
"I know." He watched the little drops of water fall from your hair onto your airy white blouse. The fabric soaked up the drops and left little stains, which almost hypnotized Sasaki. A drop of water fell on your collarbone, making its way across your soft skin, until he finally pulled himself together and looked back out at the forecourt. The spies were still there, of course they were, but Sasaki had to do something to distract himself from you. How could he possibly stand sleeping in the same bed with you?<br/>
"Go take a shower.", it came from you and you leaned forward, tugging at his coat. "You smell bad."<br/>
"Very nice, really.", he replied, but still pulled his coat off his shoulders. You were right, after all - that's the way it was when you spent a few days at sea. Besides, a hot shower sounded very tempting - then he could <em>indulge</em> in thoughts of you undisturbed.<br/>
"Just do me a favor and stay here," he turned to you, giving you a stern look. "I know you're too eager to explore the city - but don't do it alone. I'll go with you after dark."<br/>
"Yes, boss." you muttered, rolling your eyes. This rather displeased Sasaki, as he grabbed you by the upper arm and pulled you to him, to the side of the window.<br/>
"See that guy there, the waiter at the restaurant? That's one of Joker's men. So is the musician on the corner of the square, that one too. The woman with the dog? Guess what, they're spies!" he rattled off, trying to make the seriousness of the situation clear to you.<br/>
This would have been very interesting if you weren't more focused on pressing yourself tightly against Sasaki. Not to be discovered while watching was not so easy at all, but pressed so closely together you were well hidden by the curtains.<br/>
You thought of your solo act of pleasure in the shower and that you had sighed softly to yourself. His name on your lips, softly, but with hope that he would hear it after all - and finish the job himself. That hadn't happened, but that closeness to him brought you mentally right back to your wild fantasies.<br/>
You looked up at him as he gritted his teeth slightly and looked out the window. With your heart pounding wildly, you reached up and took off his cap, which seemed to snap him out of his focused stare. Sasaki looked down at you with those beautiful blue eyes and you realized that you could just kiss him. There were only a few inches separating you, it would be so easy - but you didn't.<br/>
What if he rejected you? Nervousness overtook you and you swallowed against your dry throat.<br/>
He ran his hand through green hair, through the wild curls on his forehead, and hugged you a little tighter. He looked down while you stared at him, your gaze traveling from those blue eyes to his mouth, those teeth so prominent. Would you find it strange to kiss him? Would you end up being put off...?<br/>
Your hair was still wet, but it smelled of lilac. He liked it, it lulled him, and he felt like a teenager with a crush. What was wrong with him that he resolved to stop looking at you like that and as soon as you just looked at him, all those resolutions were forgotten.<br/>
"Fuck it." Sasaki leaned down the last bit and kissed you. Your head went blank and you just reacted to his actions. Immediately, you pressed closer to his body, your free hand going up to his neck. You could feel the fangs against your skin, but it was just a tiny bit strange - with a little practice, you’d get used to it easily. More importantly, you pulled Sasaki down further to you with your hand on the back of his neck, stood on your tiptoes, and sighed softly.<br/>
He broke away from you, but only to wrap his arms around your waist and lift you a little. A nervous but joyful giggle escaped you and you threw his cap backwards despite your eyes being closed, hoping to hit the bed. This left your hands completely free, allowing you to reach into the wild hair and elicit a low growl from him. <em><strong>Ohh</strong></em>, you'd love to hear that sound more often....<br/>
“... shit.", Sasaki rumbled against your lips and his hands went to your hips, pulling you with a jerk. A breathless moan escaped you as he did so, barely noticeable, but he took it as a spur. Blue eyes eyed you hungrily until he finally maneuvered you against the wall and you looked up at him expectantly.<br/>
"I guess I'd better take a cold shower now." With a mischievous grin, you nodded, chewing on your lower lip as you did so, and followed Sasaki with your gaze until the bathroom door closed behind him. Immediately, you ran your fingertips over your lips.</p><p><br/>
<em>Wow</em>.</p><p><br/>
What did just happen?</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Some of us are wild ones</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>Sasaki kept his word and late in the evening he accompanied you through the winding streets of the city. They were narrow corridors, almost deserted, so that you could move carelessly. It was clear that Sasaki stood out in the crowd, and you were taller than most people, too. You did well to keep a low profile, because in the end you were still wanted for piracy. You also had the silent suspicion that Joker would not hold a protective hand over you if there was trouble. Joker had many safeguards in place to protect himself, but that didn't apply to all his guests.<br/>You glanced sideways at Sasaki, who was keeping a watchful eye on the surrounding alleys, and you sighed slightly. That you had kissed was so surreal, even if it was what you wanted so badly. You didn't talk about it, it had just happened.<br/>But that gnawed at you. Was that it now? A kiss and then things just petered out?<br/>"You know, this town is a lot like the one I was born in," you said, getting his attention. "It was also a port town with little streets like this."<br/>"Where was that?" he asked, and you moved a little closer beside him so that your shoulder lightly brushed his upper arm. More physical contact wasn't appropriate in public, but you did enjoy that little touch.<br/>"It's a small island on the Grand Line," you replied with a smile. "Warm and very long summers, just like here on Dressrosa."<br/>"How did you become a pirate?" Sasaki hoped his question wasn't too personal - but the memory of the kiss placated him.<br/>"That's a rather sad story," you admitted, playing with a strand of your hair. "Sure you want to hear it?"<br/>He nodded in affirmation.<br/>"My parents died of an epidemic when I was little," you began. It was a strange thing to tell someone about - but Sasaki seemed like probably the best person to do it. "The orphans were distributed through the Grand Line after the epidemic, but our transport ship was intercepted. They must have thought there was treasure or weapons on board."<br/>"Slave traders?" asked Sasaki, and you shook your head.<br/>"Fortunately, no. But they abandoned us on an island full of criminals and smugglers, a bunch of kids with no parents or money." you said, stopping to pet a gray cat that wrapped itself around your legs. The animal meowed demandingly, but since you had nothing to eat for her, you could only stroke her head gently and follow her with your gaze as she disappeared around the next corner.<br/>"A stray, then?" he inquired, and you nodded again as you continued to follow the path of the alley. The starry sky above you was clear and the air filled with the smell of the restaurants on the main street.<br/>"An exemplary stray," you continued. "Dirty, thieving and lying. I learned a lot about scams and how to get by, so it wasn't completely wasted."<br/>That your tone turned bitter naturally struck Sasaki, and he sighed slightly.<br/>"I was already causing trouble back then, on the streets," it was now his turn to tell you. "What can I say? I robbed people and then went to become a pirate. Nothing original about it."<br/>"Hah, geez, there are thousands of kids like us," you agreed, and you arrived at a large square where there was partying and dancing. People were sitting together and eating in the beautiful, expensive restaurants. There was drinking and the mood was boisterous - an idea came to you.</p><p> </p><p>You nudged Sasaki in the side with your elbow and he looked down at you, questioning and a little indignant at the attack on your part.<br/>"Okay, so: since we were both street kids and have certain <em>talents</em>.... What do you say we supplement our travel budget a little?"<br/>You saw the amused twinkle in Sasaki's eyes and he raised his brows.<br/>"Are you challenging me to steal for the bet?" he asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest, "You're losing hands down, you should realize that."<br/>"Pah, you wish!" you retorted, putting on a smug grin. "If you knew how dexterous those hands are-"<br/>"Oh, I'm sure I'll figure it out soon." he said, rendering you speechless for a moment as you stumbled over the meaning of those words.<br/>"Sasaki-!" you began but he just laughed and disappeared into the darkness of the alley behind you to win this contest. Speechless, you opened and closed your mouth before getting to work. </p><p> </p><p>"Oh, sorry!" You bumped into a man in an expensive suit, who barked indignantly at you.<br/>"You watch where you're going, you dirty-!" he snapped at you, and you looked down at the ground in dismay - his wallet already hidden in the waistband of your pants.<br/>"I'm very sorry, I really am," you replied and disappeared into the crowd. The guy had more than enough money, you thought to yourself - until you remembered that you were a pirate. Stealing was your job, so to speak!<br/>Out of the corner of your eye, however, you saw a man being pulled into the dark side alley and you knew it was Sasaki. So he just pulled people into the shadows and beat the money out of them? Not stupid, really. He had always been efficient, you had to give him that.</p><p><br/>"Hey, I'm sorry to just address you like that." You leaned over to a picture-perfect woman in a classy dress sitting at a table outside the restaurants. She looked at you out of wide eyes, but since you didn't seem to be a threat, she just looked at you questioningly.<br/>"Earlier, when you went to the bathroom - that guy put something in your drink," you said, reaching for her wine to pour the glass into the geraniums next to you. "What a pig, you should show him."<br/>When the beautiful woman's date came back from the restaurant, she immediately jumped up and started berating him. Her muscular upper arms and broad shoulders suggested she was an excellent fighter-the reason you had chosen her.<br/>"You dirty-" she hissed, taking out her earrings, taking off her rings, and pushing her expensive necklace into your hands to boot. "I'm going to kick your ass!"<br/>You cheered her on a little as she gave the poor guy a good smack. With all the commotion going on, you were able to just slip away into the crowd, diving under and eventually arriving in the side alley where unconscious guys were already piling up.<br/>"Ohh, someone's been busy," you remarked, looking over at Sasaki, who was counting a bunch of bills. Confident of victory, he looked over at you and puffed with confidence.<br/>"A whole 15,000 Belly, give or take the change...how about that." he bragged to you and you nodded, playfully impressed. With put-on thoughtfulness, you looked at the pile of motionless bodies on the floor.<br/>"You're really way ahead of me on that one, wow." You undid the top two buttons of your blouse, which of course immediately drew Sasaki's gaze. Surprised, he raised a brow, but you just grinned and reached into your breezy summer blouse. Loads of bills you pulled out of it, endlessly and more and more.<br/>Sasaki growled in the face of his more than obvious defeat, but that wasn't the end of your bravado.<br/>"And these." You thrust the beautiful woman's rings, necklace, and diamond earrings into his hand and buttoned your blouse again. "I'd say these are, what? Three hundred thousand Belly worth? If not more."<br/>He rolled his eyes in annoyance and you couldn't hold back a laugh. Sasaki wasn't a very good loser, you should have guessed!<br/>"Come on, with all that money we can have a really good time," you said, tugging teasingly at the collar of his coat. "I've never ordered room service before. And it's going to be downright decadent and expensive."</p><p> </p><p>"Pillows...?"<br/>"Pillows." you confirmed with folded arms and Sasaki sighed. This was not how he had imagined it!<br/>With pillows, you had built a wall between the two of you, and so you lay in this huge bed, separated by the strung pillows. You were so attracted to him that you didn't want to take any chances. Even though your adventure in the city had been a lot of fun - and the room service really had been to die for - you still had a mission to accomplish!<br/>"Sasaki, I'm just setting boundaries here, that's all," you tried to talk your way out of it, snorting in frustration. You frantically thought about your mission, about negotiation strategies and paying. All just to avoid thinking about spending the night with Sasaki. Because just thinking about it made you feel all <em>intrigued</em> and you struggled with your self-control. After the kiss in the afternoon, you would only too gladly continue, but that was not possible with such an important mission. You couldn't mess it all up under any circumstances!<br/>"Ah, all of a sudden you're totally dedicated to your mission and working in a completely professional manner, huh?" Sasaki lay on his side and looked at you over the wall of pillows. "Yeah, right."<br/>"Come on, you know what I mean," you replied sourly. First he got on your nerves like that and now he was making fun of you?!<br/>"Okay, listen." Sasaki threw your neatly lined up pillows off the bed and you looked at him with silent protest, but said nothing. The mattress lowered as he moved closer to you and you rolled to the side from the sudden lowering until you were slowed by his upper body. Gritting your teeth, you braced yourself against him, gaining some distance from his body. It took all your willpower not to blush.<br/>"We both know that what's going on here can be damaging to business," he said, and he watched your effort not to touch him with amusement.<br/>"Business-damaging?" you inquired, rolling your eyes. Yes, you could call it that. If you got involved with each other, then so many things could go wrong!<br/>"Come on sweetheart, this can really go the wrong way-" With a snort of laughter you interrupted him though, because this was really outrageous!<br/>"Sweetheart?!" you laughed, finally giving up on trying to move away from him. "Since when do you use pet names for me? What's next? Darling, or even better - Honey~?!"<br/>A little offended, he waited out your little fit of laughter, but then pulled you into a tight hug to shut you up. Giggling, you pressed against him, enjoying the closeness for a moment, then looked up at him.<br/>"Business before pleasure," you said, setting the rules for this mission once and for all. Sasaki seemed a little disappointed, and so were you, of course - but this was about more than just you and a fling. Kaido had ordered you, especially you, to do something and this mission had to be done before anything else.<br/>"I won't complain now that you're finally taking things seriously, too," he agreed, and Sasaki pulled you even closer to him as you snuggled into his side.<br/>It felt right, warm and so familiar. While you were already dozing off, Sasaki leaned down and pressed a kiss to your forehead as if it was the most normal thing in the world.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. I'm the blade</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>"Sasaki..." You sighed heavily and pushed him away from you with your hand. "You snore."<br/>He growled and wrapped his arms around you, pulling you against his torso again and yawning.<br/>"So are you," you got in response, muffled by him pressing his face into your hair and planting a kiss on the back of your neck. "And you talk in your sleep, too."<br/>"Yeah, Nara said something like that once... Can't help it." you mumbled, groaning as you were pulled even tighter with a tug. You felt like a stuffed animal, but you were too tired to seriously complain about it. Waking up so early in the morning with Sasaki, in his arms at that - it felt like it had been going on forever. That it was the first time you'd spent a night together seemed almost surreal.<br/>After a hearty yawn you turned around and snuggled even closer to Sasaki. His hand ran down your back, back up to your shoulders and you sighed, enjoying his touch with a growing desire for more.<br/>"If you keep this up, you'll end up breaking the rules," you murmured, pressing against him as his hand stroked down your back again, up over your pelvis and to your butt. "Sasaki."<br/>"Alright, alright.", he grumbled and let go of you, stretching and letting his neck crack. "I can't lie down anymore anyway, my back isn't used to these soft beds."<br/>You sat up and grumbled in agreement, because your back hurt too. On Onigashima, there were no mattresses that felt like the softest clouds, and if you weren't used to beds like that, your back ached quickly.<br/>"I'm hungry," you yawned and stood up, stretching and sighing. You felt his gaze on you as he eyed your back and you snorted in amusement. You'd love to climb back into bed and satisfy the urge - but there were more important things to do. "Let me guess, you want something to eat too?"<br/>Sasaki stuck her head out of the bathroom, already brushing his teeth.<br/>"I can always eat." he mumbled, dripping toothpaste on the floor. You laughed at this moment of everyday life - something that was probably so hard to do on Onigashima. For that you would have to spend the night at Sasaki's more often and how could you explain that to Black Maria?<br/>A wave of affection for him rolled over you, hot and it filled you to your fingertips. It tingled pleasantly in your stomach, but you pulled a face.<br/><strong><em>Oh</em></strong>, you thought. Since when had your crush developed into such intense feelings? Sure, you'd always had a lot of feelings for Sasaki, and you totally had a crush on him, too - but this went very deep. Disturbingly deep. This was <strong>love</strong>.<br/>"Is something wrong?" You looked up, but then shook your head. How could you possibly tell Sasaki that you loved him? That this intimate togetherness with him was all you ever wanted? Would he laugh at you and reject you or, and that would be a surprise, accept your feelings? Even if that would happen, will alone could not move mountains, not in this case.<br/>There was a knock at the door and before you could open it, a letter was pushed through the door slot on the floor. With a curious noise you picked it up and read what it said.<br/>Sasaki was already behind you, looking over your shoulder, a feeling you had grown to like. He was there, immediately with you if something happened and he would protect you if necessary. Is this what safety felt like, was this the calming feeling of security? You could really get used to that!<br/>You leaned against him, your back against his torso and held the letter a little higher so he could read it.<br/>"Joker wants to see you, huh?" he asked, and you gave an exhausted snort. Already? You were hoping for another night, together with Sasaki in that huge bed.... "And already this afternoon, curious."<br/>You contorted your face into an insecure grimace, but the time had finally come for you to prove yourself!<br/>Still, when Sasaki stepped back and immediately the warmth at your back was missing, a stab went through your chest. You really had to concentrate, to focus completely on this thing; But that was not so easy with all these butterflies in your stomach.</p><p> </p><p>"I'm nervous."<br/>"I can hardly tell." Sasaki's sarcastic undertone didn't make it any better when the two of you finally stood in the entrance hall of Joker's mansion. The white marble around you looked so classy, you almost felt a little out of place. You were finely dressed as well, but this palace was brimming with over-the-top ego!<br/>"Maybe he's trying to compensate for something..." you muttered in the face of a giant mermaid gold statue. Sasaki's stifled laughter quickly died down as one of Joker's officials entered the hall. It was Diamante, and although you and Sasaki were already very tall - you had to look up to him.<br/>"You must be Kaido's new negotiator," he greeted you and you nodded politely. He looked to Sasaki, who was once again fully absorbed in his role as your bodyguard, and just stared motionlessly at Diamante. "And Sasaki, isn't it? Dear, you're offending us - that you're about to bring yourself a chaperone. That's <em>so</em> rude, we're partners!"<br/>Inwardly you had to take a breath, because the way he was talking to you was equal parts disgusting and provocative. Oh, you already didn't like him.<br/>"I'm just looking out for my safety," you replied with a cool smile. "The way here is long and dangerous, as I'm sure you know."<br/>Diamante eyed you for a moment, then laughed and nodded in agreement.<br/>"Well, at least you know how to talk, unlike the last guy," he said sore directing you to follow him with a wave. "And a lot prettier, too! Say, do you have plans later? I know a wonderful restaurant-"<br/>"Thank you, that's- very nice," you interrupted him, clenching your jaws. You could feel Sasaki shifting a little behind you and knew that this conversation must be very annoying for him. "But I have no interest in men."<br/>Sasaki tilted his head slightly at your lie, seeming amused at your clumsy attempt to brush Diamante off. You gave him a helpless look and shrugged your shoulders. You didn't care whether it was a man or a woman, but in this case you just wanted to get rid of Diamante.<br/>But he just laughed at your cold rebuff and you arrived in a backyard, occupied by lawn and a large pool. Why a devil fruit user needed a pool was not quite clear to you, but all the beautiful women explained it directly. They were lying in the sun in all sorts of expensive dresses and skimpy bikinis, laughing and drinking cocktails - not such a bad life, you admitted.<br/>Joker himself was sitting on one of the sofas - a sofa next to a pool...? - and had a newspaper in his hand. Diamante told you to wait and you stayed in the shade of the villa, your heart pounding.<br/>Nervousness and fear crept up the back of your neck and made you shiver, because this wasn't just some idiot on a small island; this was about billions, about power and about dominance. Could you really give Joker a run for his money?<br/>Next to you, Sasaki noticed your excitement and he came a few inches closer so that he was almost right behind you. He wanted too much to touch you, to ground you with a hand on your shoulder or your back - but that was not possible in this situation.<br/>"I'm scared," you said softly, tilting your head towards him so that it looked like you were discussing something with him.<br/>"You don't have to be. I'm here.", he reassured you quietly and you nodded, maintaining your neutral expression. Without Sasaki, you would be here all alone, in the lion's den, completely unprotected. What a nightmare!</p><p> </p><p>"Kaido spoils me when he sends me such a beauty." Joker approached you, hands in his pockets and a wide grin on his face. The pink feather coat resonated with every scrap, and despite his colorful getup, you sensed immediately that he was dangerous. Sasaki hadn't understated the case, Joker exuded a kind of danger that made you gulp. And this was the guy you were supposed to negotiate with?<br/>"Very kind, thank you." You didn't quite know how to take the compliment, but you couldn't manage a smile. Maybe that was just as well, because you didn't want Joker to think he had you wrapped around his finger. He was the type of person you couldn't show any weakness to!<br/>"Not so keen on flattery, huh?" he asked, laughing. "That's fine with me."<br/>He seemingly ignored Sasaki, and out of the corner of your eye you only saw the two of them give each other an appraising look. But before you could interpret more into it, Joker already slid his arm under yours and pulled you along with him, forcing you to hook up with him. It felt wrong, but you had no choice - in this place, he had the home field advantage.</p><p> </p><p>"So, let's hear it. Kaido wants more weapons, more SMILES, more whatever?" asked Joker, and he sat down on the marble tabletop that was the centerpiece of the conference room.<br/>You didn't sit down but remained standing while Sasaki stayed by the door, keeping an eye on both of you with his arms crossed. If Joker made a wrong move, Sasaki would immediately be in front of you as a protective wall. With him in the room, you felt much safer.<br/>"You know why we're here." you said to Joker, watching as he poured himself some wine from a bottle that stood in the middle of the table. He raised the bottle questioningly, but you shook your head. In life, you would <strong>never</strong> drink with him!<br/>"Master Kaido has seen the fake books and isn't too pleased," you said, taking a step toward the table, your gaze fixed firmly on Joker. "You're embezzling money from Master Kaido."<br/>The blond man laughed and you did your best not to move a muscle. You wanted to appear as strong and intimidating as possible, even if that was very difficult in the face of such a dangerous man.<br/>"'Master Kaido'." he repeated, chuckling. "How reverently you speak of him, it makes one's heart swell. That's good, because finding respectful subordinates isn't easy."<br/>"Don't change the subject." You did sit down on one of the chairs and crossed your legs, your heel banging loudly on the marble floor. With a piercing stare, you glared at Joker and finally thundered a black book onto the table. "You have embezzled millions! You will immediately transfer this money to Master Kaido. <strong>Today</strong>, otherwise there will be consequences."<br/>There was silence for a moment, and you felt Joker and Sasaki both stare at you in amazement. You talking to Donquixote Doflamingo like that was stupid and brave, but more stupid than anything else.<br/>He seemed to think so too, because Joker stood up and grabbed the back of the chair, leaning over you until your faces were only inches apart. Immediately movement came to Sasaki, but with a wave of Joker's hand he froze before he could reach you. Joker gave him a warning look and you felt the razor sharp strings on your throat, arms and torso.<br/>"One wrong move and that pretty head rolls across the floor," Joker growled to Sasaki, and your companion was forced to let the situation happen. However, you felt all too clearly the anger emanating from him - admittedly, you were really going out on a limb with your provocation. But there was nothing Joker loved more than power games, so you went for it.<br/>"You heard right," you said and through the sunlight you could see his eyes behind the sunglasses. He was pissed, oh very much so - but there was also more. "I'm giving you an ultimatum, that's right. Because that's my job."<br/>For a moment, Joker considered just cutting your head off, you could clearly feel it. But instead he loosened the strings on your body and snorted in amusement as he picked up the glass on the table and took a sip of wine.<br/>"I like you." he finally said, and Sasaki seemed to relax a little in the background. "All right, Kaido will get his money. But only because you're so pretty."<br/>"I trust it won't happen again," you replied and stood up, already turning to leave. "We're done here, I take it?"<br/>Joker laughed and nodded, pouring himself some more wine.<br/>"Say, do you like working for Kaido?" he asked, swirling the wine back and forth in his glass. You could feel his gaze on you, even with the sunglasses hiding his eyes. You nodded in response to his question.<br/>"Of course I do. Even if my work involves many <em>unpleasant</em> encounters."<br/>Joker only laughed louder at your remark and took another sip of wine. He leaned in front of us the grin that was so confident got a little wider.<br/>"Why don't you work for me instead?"</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. As anxious as ever</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>"Enough." Sasaki cut in and stepped in front of you, virtually shoving you behind him with a single jerk. "Joker, back the fuck off."<br/>
"Sasaki-!" you tried to interject, but he immediately cut you off with a gruff growl. He already had his hand on the hilt of his sword, and Joker was immediately on his feet as well.<br/>
"What else, Sasaki? Are you going to sell me out to Kaido then?" the blond man replied and you saw the twitch in his hand. Before you knew what hit you, Sasaki shoved you backwards against the door as he drew his sword. A strange cutting sound was heard and you could see in the incoming light of the sun that only the sword blade protected his throat from Joker's strings.<br/>
"Oh no-!" you gasped, slapping a hand over your mouth. Blood dripped onto the floor where the strings cut into his arms. You braced yourself against the door, but your knees were as soft as rubber. You hadn't expected things to escalate like this, and so quickly. Like a blow, you were struck by the realization of the forces you were playing with so recklessly here.<br/>
"<em>Enough</em>!!!" you shouted in between, just as Joker brought more strings into play and Sasaki was already beginning to transform into his Zoan form. You jumped between the two and before your companion could push you out of the way again, you gave Joker a withering look.<br/>
"I will <em><strong>not</strong></em> work for you!" you hissed, then looked to Sasaki. "And if <em>you</em> interrupt my business one more time, you're in for it!"<br/>
Both men seemed completely surprised that you were interfering so openly. It took another mischievous look for both of them to let go of each other. Your heart was pounding up to your throat and it took every ounce of willpower you had not to vomit on the expensive marble floor in fear. Every hair on your body stood out and cold sweat ran down the back of your neck. Your body knew it was in mortal danger - but your stubborn head wouldn't take it seriously.<br/>
"Get a grip, will you?" you continued, smoothing your top to steady your trembling hands. "This is unbearable, this dick comparison."<br/>
Silence reigned in the room until Joker finally snorted and shoved his hands into the pockets of his pants.<br/>
"Ah, it was worth a shot," he said, and as he walked past you, he paused for a moment. "If you change your mind, you know where to find me."<br/>
With a loud click, the door slammed shut behind him and you were alone with Sasaki, who put away his sword. You felt his anger towards you, it didn't even need words on his part. You'd overplayed your hand and really got yourself into something - again!<br/>
"I'm sorry-!" you immediately wanted to make up for your reckless behavior, but you didn't get very far. Sasaki came up to you and grabbed you by the wrist, pulling you towards the door. Oh, he was angry with you, angrier that you have ever witnessed before.<br/>
"We're leaving. <strong><em>Now</em></strong>."</p><p> </p><p>At the hotel, Sasaki slammed the door behind you and you winced. All the way from Joker's villa to the hotel he hadn't said a word and it was more than clear that he was <em>very</em> angry with you. The guilty conscience gnawed at you, but you didn't dare say anything. Had you blown it now? He seemed so angry - rightly so, you had to say - you got it with the fear that this would put too much strain on your so fragile relationship.<br/>
"I'm sorry-" you put in again, but all you got was a low growl in response. He grabbed your bag and threw it at you roughly, making you groan slightly as you caught it.<br/>
"Pack your things." he instructed you and walked to the window. You stopped for a moment and hugged the bag closer to your chest.<br/>
It was all your fault, and you couldn't even blame Sasaki for being so mad. How the hell had you ever thought of flaming and provoking Joker like that? It was obvious that something like that had to happen!<br/>
The horror still sat deep in your bones and you felt the painful lump in your throat and the burning of tears in your eyes. You put the bag on the bed and sat down next to it, fighting not to cry. You were so sorry that you had put yourself and Sasaki in danger, and on top of that you were acting like a megalomaniac wannabe pirate. It was pathetic what poor judgment you had shown.<br/>
"That was so reckless and stupid! You could have died!" it finally burst out of Sasaki, continuing to stare angrily at the hotel's forecourt. "Just throwing yourself in between, are you completely insane-"<br/>
Your sobbing stopped him in his rage and at the sound, Sasaki immediately turned around. You were sitting on the bed, your hands folded in your lap and your head lowered. You didn't want him to see you crying like that. But you just couldn't help it, your emotions from the past weeks were just too much.<br/>
He tensed his muscles, completely overwhelmed by the situation. Sasaki could command armies, was an excellent fighter, and he was always so full of himself - only this overwhelmed him. What did one do in such a situation?<br/>
"I was so scared!" you said in a choked voice, rubbing the back of your hand over your cheeks to wipe away the tears. "Sasaki, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean for this to happen! I was so scared that something would happen to you..."<br/>
"M-me?" He finally woke up from his stupor and came over. He reached out his hand, which you grabbed after a moment's hesitation, and pulled you up off the bed. "I'll be fine, don't worry about that."<br/>
He sounded a little embarrassed and unsettled, as if no one had ever been so honestly concerned about his well-being. With another sob, you wiped away the tears once more and sniffled, trying to catch yourself again. But fear still sat in your neck, for who could claim to have angered Joker like that and escape with their life?<br/>
"Still, you can't just do something like that on your own!", Sasaki gently scolded you, and you nodded in embarrassment as more tears rolled down your cheeks. "If I can't react in time, then you're in serious danger! You must let me in on such things!"<br/>
You could only nod and press against him until he finally sighed and hugged you. Sasaki hugged you tightly and you returned the gesture, wrapping your arms around his torso and trying to tell him just by your embrace how grateful you were to him. He had been there immediately, he had wanted to protect you from harm and that alone showed you that he really cared about you.<br/>
"Don't scare me like that again, do you understand me?" He let go of you for a moment, but then took your face in his hands and kissed you. It was a relieved kiss, with emphasis and concern hidden in it. You returned the kiss, pressed another, smaller kiss on his mouth, then a third and fourth.<br/>
"If something happens to you, I... Ugh." Sasaki didn't finish the sentence, but he sought your gaze and you nodded. He wasn't very good with words, he preferred to let actions speak for him. And that day, his actions had spoken enough, for he had immediately thrown himself in front of you without hesitation, ready to face Joker alone. This man loved you, even though he may not have fully admitted it to himself yet.<br/>
"Pack your things, we're getting out of here." he said softly and you received another kiss, this time loving and full of feeling. It was a side you didn't know of Sasaki like that. At home, he wasn't so soft-hearted, so loving and sensitive - when you were back on Onigashima, everything would be the same again. All the more reason to enjoy his undivided attention.</p><p> </p><p>"I'm going to miss the weather...," you murmured as you made your way to the harbor with your companion. Sasaki, as always, kept an eye on your surroundings, but his steps became faster and faster the closer you got to the harbor. You almost ran after him, strained and sweaty.<br/>
"Don't run like that!" you gasped, but Sasaki waved you on impatiently.<br/>
"The tide will be out soon. If we want to get out before midnight, we'll have to hurry," he replied, and you groaned in annoyance. Hastily you tried to catch up with him and tripped over a loose cobblestone, but you barely caught yourself.<br/>
"Shit!" you cursed, even more annoyed - until you finally ran into Sasaki with a muffled groan. "Ughf, what the-"<br/>
"Wait." Sasaki looked down at the docks, where some somber-looking figures seemed to be watching the Valhalla. Your companion growled low and he touched you briefly on the shoulder. "You stay right here, and I'll take a look. If anything is wrong, just holler for me."<br/>
You nodded in affirmation and hugged your bag to you. Sasaki looked at you again briefly to check if you would really listen to him this time. You nodded again, looking him firmly in the eye, and he walked down the path to the docks. You stood to the side, next to some large crates and waited for him to return. You were getting fed up with the adventures, especially if it continued to be so grueling!</p><p>You felt the man behind you, but when you turned around it was already too late. The stranger grabbed you, immediately put his hand over your mouth and upper body. You wanted to call for help, or step on his foot, something.... But he pulled you with him into the shadows of the crates and barrels stacked along the path to the harbor. With a dull sound your bag fell to the ground and even if you wanted to squirm like an eel, the man held you tightly. Biting him didn't work either and after he got tired of your wriggling, he swung around with you and slammed your head against one of the wooden crates.<br/>
A hot, blinding pain - and the world around you sank into dizziness and a dark, starless night.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Lights on the horizon</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>When Sasaki returned from the dock, annoyed by the false alarm, he stood rooted to the spot at the top of the wooden stairs. Here he had left you, here he had said you should wait.<br/>
But you were gone.<br/>
"Y/N!" He called your name, turned around his own axis. Ice-cold water poured into his veins and ran down his back just as icy. You were gone.<br/>
You were gone!<br/>
"Fuck!" he cursed aloud and immediately took off running, back down the stairs and to the dock as fast as he could. He hurried to the Valhalla, keeping his cloak on his shoulders as he did so, calling out to Ryuji, his best man, from a distance.<br/>
"What's up, boss?" he asked as Sasaki rushed aboard. "Where's the girl?"<br/>
"Joker grabbed her," Sasaki replied, whistling through his teeth to gather his men. "Kaido will make me a whole head shorter if we show up in Wano without her."<br/>
"You heard the boss, pull up and do it NOW!" yelled Ryuji over the ship and the entire crew was gathered on deck within seconds. Ryu divided the people into three groups: one team stayed on the deck of the Valhalla, one team headed into the city to look for you, and the last team gathered information as efficiently as possible.<br/>
"Say, boss, ain't just because she's the accountant, huh?" asked Ryuji Sasaki quietly as the teams set to work. "It's pretty obvious that you like her, y'know."<br/>
Ryuji had been Sasaki's right-hand man for a long time. They had been at sea together for ten years, and when Sasaki was still the captain of his own crew, Ryu had taken the place of vice. That's why Sasaki just rolled his eyes at the remark and snorted. That, however, was answer enough for Ryu and he grinned wryly.<br/>
"Can't say anything against it, it's a pretty thing. And<em> so</em> smart to boot, unlike us." he said and Sasaki turned away, nervous and unable to stand around stupidly.<br/>
"I want to know where she is and why they could just take her," he instructed Ryu impatiently. "She's probably already halfway to Joker's fucking fortress. We've got to get him and his officers out of there, so make nice and big trouble."<br/>
"Aye, boss." grumbled Ryu, and he paused briefly before heading off into the city as well. "The Colosseum, why don't we have a little riot there? It's world famous and I'm sure at least Diamante will get his ass out of the house then."<br/>
"Not bad." agreed Sasaki, rubbing the back of his neck thoughtfully. "But it won't be enough."<br/>
There was a brief silence between the two of them and Sasaki's thoughts almost rolled over. He was afraid and that was something that made him nervous and frantic. He was never afraid for himself, he managed somehow - but that you were in danger was unbearable. On top of that, it made him angry that he had let Joker see his cards like that. Of course, you were the weak link in the chain and the easiest way to pick you out was for Sasaki to look away for a moment. Doflamingo had used that very moment to tease him, to take you away from him, and right under his nose?! Unbelievable.<br/>
"I'm going to the Colosseum." he said, barely hiding the anger in his voice. "You take three more people with you and you sneak into the factory down by the harbor. Keep Trebol and Sugar busy, but don't get caught. Sugar is very dangerous, keep an eye out for her."<br/>
Ryu nodded.<br/>
"Diamante will go to the Colosseum and Pica is guaranteed to stay at the palace, that's where he'll have the most effective opportunity to use his devil fruit powers," Sasaki continued and he hurried across the dock, Ryuji in tow. "Joker trusts his officers, that's why I have to wreck half the city to get his scrawny ass out of there."<br/>
"Man, man, you're on a roll," Ryu remarked, laughing. "Works for me, finally some fun and action!"</p><p> </p><p>"This was a stupid idea, really." You were sitting on the sofa by the pool, as far away from Joker as possible. He had his arm across the back and was laughing, moving a little closer to you. Too bad you were already sitting at the far end of the sofa - sliding even further away from him wasn't an option. "Sasaki's not going to like this."<br/>
"I don't give a shit what that show-off likes or doesn't like," you got in response. "And Kaido cares even less, he'll just get himself a new accountant."<br/>
He was right about that, but Joker didn't count on Sasaki's stubbornness. He wouldn't leave you on Dressrosa, no way!<br/>
"You're a little too sure of yourself, beautiful," Joker said, and you could clearly hear the threat in his voice. "A pretty face never saved anyone's neck around here."<br/>
"I never asked to be a guest here," you said snappishly, but a little worry spread through you. You trusted Sasaki to save you - but he was alone against the entire Donquixotte family. He couldn't take on so many officers at once, even his stubbornness wouldn't save him from harm then. Fear crept over the back of your neck, making the skin prickle. What if something happened to Sasaki?<br/>
"Are you hungry?" asked Joker, and he slid a little closer to you. You smelled his perfume and wrinkled your nose in disgust. He reeked of some flowery stuff that so did not suit you! Instinctively you craved the smell of your lover, it just smelled like him and not like a huge bouquet of flowers!<br/>
"No, thank you very much.", you gritted your teeth and crossed your arms in front of your chest.<br/>
"Some wine? I could show you your new office if you want.", he urged further and you gave him an angry look - but that only seemed to amuse him.<br/>
"If you really think I'm just going to give up my position with Master Kaido like that, you're sorely mistaken!" you rumbled, "Besides, Sasaki will give you hell, I promise!"<br/>
"Hmm, oh really?" he asked, now close enough to put his arm around your shoulder. "You seem quite taken with that barbaric idiot. Makes me curious."<br/>
"Why, because I trust my nakama?" you asked, peeling yourself from his touch. You stood up, just wanting to get away from this creep. It was clear that he was just playing a game of boredom here - but for you, it was bitterly serious. If you didn't play along, he would probably just cut off your head with his strings. But if you played along too well, then you only encouraged him. You were trapped.<br/>
"Trust is overrated," Joker said, standing up. You hunched your shoulders, hoping not to be intimidated by him. You couldn't show him fear, but you found that increasingly difficult. The thought that this whole thing could actually go wrong - you tried to nip that in the bud.</p><p>"Sir, there's trouble in the Colosseum district of Acacia!" you heard, and one of Joker's henchmen came running up, panting. You recognized him, it was the guy who had kidnapped you. You stuck your tongue out at him and turned away, but your ears were perked, of course. "Someone is attacking the Colosseum! The entire south side is already in ruins!"<br/>
"Who's stupid enough to attack me-" Joker paused, and he caught the look you gave him over your shoulder. You knew Sasaki wouldn't let you down!<br/>
"My people say it's a Triceratops?!" the henchman continued and you snorted in amusement. That Sasaki was tearing apart the entire Colosseum just because of you...? You felt <em>flattered</em>.<br/>
"Joker, Trebol reports that there was an explosion at the port! The factory is still standing, but there's a huge commotion!!!" Another henchman came running out of the mansion and you watched Joker's expression darken. Oh, he wasn't just annoyed, he was really pissed off!<br/>
"You and me, sweetheart." He came up to you and grabbed you by the wrist, yanking it up. You suppressed the sound of pain in your throat, not wanting to give him the satisfaction. "I'll talk to you later. First, I'm going to finish off your damn bodyguard - I'm <em>really</em> looking forward to bringing you his head."<br/>
You stared angrily into the lenses of his sunglasses, but didn't give an inch. You would prove to Sasaki that you could keep your nerve even in such a situation!<br/>
"Take her to the conference room on the second floor," he instructed one of his men. "Lock the door, I don't want her to run away."<br/>
"You're mine.", Joker hissed at you and even in the face of that clear threat you only returned a biting 'Ts'. Hopefully you had a way to escape, because Sasaki certainly couldn't keep the Donquixotte family busy forever.</p><p> </p><p>It was the same conference room where you had stepped on Joker's toes so much. They locked you in the room and of course you immediately ran to the window, opened it. It was too high up to jump, but if you held on tight...then maybe you could climb! But then you still had to climb over the walls, then come down the huge flower hill.... You were trapped.<br/>
"Shit!" you cursed, looking around the room in panic. There was a bowl of fruit, wine, and several cabinets full of papers. Glasses were in them, papers, writing materials.... Nothing you could even remotely use.<br/>
What now?<br/>
You stood helplessly in the middle of the room, leaning against the large table with your face in your hands. Sasaki and his people caused a lot of turmoil and trouble to get you out of there in one piece. Of course, it wasn't just his sense of duty, but it was simply because the two of you had this... <em>thing</em> going on. What kind of thing it was exactly, you could always clarify later.<br/>
How were you supposed to escape from that room? You didn't want everyone risking their lifes for you!<br/>
You heard the key in the lock of the big door and automatically stepped back from it a little. Who could it be? Was it Joker? You weren't going down without a fight, ever!<br/>
The door opened and you courageously grabbed the wine bottle, ready to hurl it at your attacker.<br/>
"Hey, woah-! Take it easy, princess."<br/>
"Ryuji?" You lowered the bottle again and looked at Ryu and Koma, who were among Sasaki's closest confidants. "How did you guys get past Pica?"<br/>
"We caused as much trouble as we could, they're all busy," Ryu replied, and Koma closed the doors after taking a quick look around the hallway. "Besides, don't they all think no one can sneak into their fortress? Hah, not with good old Ryu!"<br/>
"Well, does good old Ryu have a plan on how to get out of here? How we're going to get the ship out of the harbor?" you asked, gesturing expansively. "This fortress is-well, a fortress."<br/>
"There's an old shaft for the servants, we can take that. The Valhalla is already at high seas, waiting for us." you got as an answer and he took your hand to pull you with him. But you snatched yourself from his grasp and shook your head. "Hey, come on kid, the boss is about to raze the Colosseum to the ground, but-"<br/>
"I'm not going to let him get himself in any more trouble, that's stupid!" you insisted, and began to rummage further through the cupboards. "If I find anything here to incriminate Joker, then I can rat him out to Kaido and he'll have to let us go!"<br/>
"Well, <strong>that's</strong> stupid if you ask me!" growled Ryuji, and he tried to pull you away again. "Like he'd just leave his worst crimes lying around here, you're totally-"<br/>
"Wait- Wait, wait, wait!!!" you shouted, head first in one of the closets. "Oh, this is <strong>PERFECT</strong>!"<br/>
You pulled the dusty old transponder snail out of the closet and set it on the table. After you poked it a few times, it tiredly opened its eyes and made a soft noise. She seemed to still be functional!<br/>
"Guard the door.", you instructed Ryuji, but he didn't move an inch.<br/>
"Okay, listen." he said, brushing his long hair back, annoyed and nervous. "We're going to see about getting our asses out of here, and we're going to do it <em>now</em>!"<br/>
You gave him an incensed look, then rolled your eyes. Why was he being so overdramatic and entrenched in his role as your savior? What a load of crap! You had an idea how to call Joker back and without any major losses. People should finally stop underestimating you, you thought grimly.<br/>
"Oh, zip it! I'm not going to let Sasaki act like a knight in shining armor here," you retorted, dialing the number on the transponder snail. "You know exactly how stubborn he is, in the end Joker will kick his ass! Even Sasaki can't take on the whole Donquixotte family on his own but he <em><strong>will</strong></em> try to do so. You know that, Ryu."<br/>
At this, Ryu couldn't come up with a counter-argument and he sighed theatrically, but let you do your thing.<br/>
Excitedly, you waited for the dial tone, bouncing up and down on one leg, hoping fervently that it would work. When the click sounded and the other person picked up, you felt a huge weight lifted off your chest. It would work, for sure! This time your plan wouldn't completely fail!<br/>
"King here."</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. My regrets are few</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>"Hi King, it's me," you greeted the All-Star on the other end of the line. "I'm sorry to call you on your private number."<br/>"Don't worry about it, I didn't give it to you for nothing. Is there a problem?" he also asked directly and you sighed. Yeah, you could say that, you thought. <br/>"I have a favor to ask you," you replied and King took that alone as a yes. "Joker thinks that he would like to hire me as his new accountant. He's kidnapped me and Sasaki is tearing apart the Colosseum right now."<br/><br/>Silence.<br/><br/>"The Colosseum?" asked King, and you heard in his voice that he wondered briefly about Sasaki's stubbornness. It also resonated with a bit of admiration for this kind of absolute audacity.<br/>"Yeah, it should be half in ruins by now," you confirmed, "Still, King - he can't do it alone. He gets himself killed."<br/>"Of course he can't take Joker on his own, this guys is no lightweight," the All-Star agreed with you. There was a bit of a crackle on the line and you had to turn the conversation back to the favor you wanted to ask. You cleared your throat quietly and took a deep breath.<br/>"King, how soon could you reach Umit and Peclo?" you asked straight out. "I want all purchases to go through to them temporarily. I know they're more expensive than Joker - but I want to deprive Joker of his orders. All of them."<br/>King was silent for a moment; you could just feel him thinking and weighing. Your request wasn't just a favor, it was interfering with the entire underworld of the new world. If you deprived Joker of Kaido's arms dealing contracts, a huge part of his fortune would immediately collapse. Umit and Peclo were the giants of the smuggling trade all over the world, and if they got a tempting offer from Kaido, they would surely strike. Additionally, they didn't like Joker and were guaranteed to be happy about an opportunity to make him mad!<br/>"That wouldn't take very long..." said King slowly and thoughtfully. "Umit has been keen on Joker's orders for a very long time. But you know what you're doing with that, don't you? You thought about the consequences to this, right?"<br/>"I'll never be able to set foot in Dressrosa again," you admitted, weighing your head. "On top of that, Joker will probably have the hots for my head."<br/>"At least that, yes. Plus, you'll have to answer for it to Kaido." There was another crackle on the line and King snorted. "All right, but I have one condition."<br/>"I didn't expect anything else," you said, but a load fell off your mind. King not only saved your butt, but Sasaki's too! You wondered if he was all right. Was he still fighting at the Colosseum?<br/>"I'm going to ask you a question, and I want you to answer it absolutely honestly." Your stomach rumbled ominously and you already suspected what was coming. Out of the corner of your eye, you watched Ryu and Koma waiting impatiently at the door.<br/>"Okay, shoot." you finally said, and after a few seconds King asked the question that had been bothering him for so long.<br/>"I never had a chance with you, did I?" he asked and you nodded. Yes, you had expected something like that. "And remember: Be honest."<br/>A heavy sigh escaped you and you looked to the two men at the door, staring sheepishly at the ceiling. Yes, this really was an uncomfortably private topic you were discussing in front of Sasaki's men. But that was the price to pay for his safety.<br/>"King, I know you don't want to hear this..." you said, as quietly as possible so Ryu and Koma wouldn't overhear everything. "But you never stood a chance. Ever since I met Sasaki, there's only ever been him for me. Nobody else, I'm sorry."<br/><br/>A moment of silence.<br/><br/></p><p>"You really love him, don't you?" King asked so straight-faced, you almost forgot that Ryu and Koma were eavesdropping. If those two blurted out even a word, they were in for it!<br/>"Yes, I do." It felt strange to say it out loud - of course you loved Sasaki, what a question! But feeling something and saying it out loud was a huge difference.<br/>King sighed.<br/>"Lucky bastard." he finally growled. "All right, I'll pass on the orders right away. Joker should get word within the next hour, he's well connected."<br/>"Thanks, King. We should be back on Onigashima in a few days." you replied, your twisted stomach unknotting a little. Joker would be furious as soon as he got wind of this. He made a third of his money from the arms trade, and you were destroying that income just like that - he wouldn't like that. After that day, you definitely couldn't show your face on Dressrosa again!<br/>"Take care." With a click, King hung up and you stared into nothingness for a moment longer, thinking about the conversation. For the first time you were honest, really <em>honest</em> about your feelings and it felt strange, especially in the company of Ryu and Koma.<br/>You turned to face the two of them, but there was no time to be embarrassed. Ryuji came up to you and grabbed your wrist, pulling you towards the door.<br/>"We'll pretend we didn't hear all that," he reassured your uncertainty and finally you allowed him to pull you towards the door. Now it was up to you, you had to escape from Joker's fortress and get to the southern port. From there, take a boat to Valhalla and then let's go home!<br/>"What about Sasaki?" you asked quietly as the three of you made your way through the empty hallways of the mansion.<br/>"We'll meet him on the way," Koma replied, peeking cautiously around the next corner. The coast was clear and he beckoned you forward to briefly explain the plan. "We'll take the servants' passage, which leads down to the base of Flower Hill. From there there are a series of alleys that are pretty empty. We'll go to the Colosseum and pick up Sasaki and the others."<br/>Eagerly you nodded, silently hoping that it would really work out that way.</p><p> </p><p>Of course it did not work out that way.</p><p> </p><p>"You better run faster!"<br/>"I'm already running as fast as I can!!" you shouted to Koma, almost tripping over your own feet. The plan had not worked out as desired - though Joker was forced to retreat and sort out his business; But all of Dressrosa was now on the lookout for you. Ryu, Koma and you stumbled hastily through the narrow streets near the Colosseum, pursued by a whole bunch of Joker's men. Koma kept pushing you forward, pushing you further through the alleys, forcing you to run. Your lungs were burning and your throat was dry, but you simply had to escape, otherwise it would all have been for nothing!<br/><br/>With a deafening crash, the wall broke apart just a few meters in front of you and stones flew across the air. Startled, you threw your arms protectively in front of your face and had to cough when the dust got into your lungs. Was it friend or foe that had just torn down the entire wall?<br/>"Get back!" Ryu shifted protectively in front of you while Koma had your back. As much as the two of them had been upset with you as a companion in the beginning - by now they were protecting you with their lives. Was that because Sasaki had ordered them to do so?<br/>Speaking of the devil - when the dust settled, you saw Sasaki in his zoan form right in front of you. Your heart did a back flip with relief and even though he seemed to be injured - he was alive, that was all that mattered.<br/>"We're leaving." He transformed back, which you watched in awe, was now back in his human form and grabbed your hand. "Come on, don't fall asleep!"<br/>"Are you okay?" you called over the din of the approaching Donquixotte pirates. You hurried to the southern harbor, from where you could make your way to Valhalla. Behind you, a large group of enemies rushed in, but your attention was only on your beloved, despite the frantic flight. "You're bleeding!"<br/>"Shouldn't I rather ask <em>you</em> if you're okay?" retorted Sasaki, and he jerkily pulled you towards him so that you stumbled and he could pull you onto his back. "You're too slow!"<br/>Instinctively, you wrapped your arms around his neck to hold on tight. You felt the tips of his hair on your skin, the warmth of his body even through the fabric, and it calmed your nerves instantly. Your fear ebbed away until it was completely gone and you pressed against him, sighing in relief. As long as you were with him, everything was fine. Now all you had to do was escape the island, and all this stress would finally be over.<br/>"What did you do to make Joker himself run back to his mansion? Must have been pretty bad!", Sasaki called out to you and you pressed yourself a little tighter against his back. You would have done anything to protect him, just as he did anything for you, even if he wasn't too happy to admit it.<br/>"He lost all his contracts to Kaido!" you retorted, "I'm going to get a heck of a beating from Kaido and he will get them back in a day or two - but I couldn't let him bust your ass!"<br/>"As if!" you got the reply, but there was a very amused undertone in Sasaki's voice. There was a warmth in it, so affectionate, that it made your heart go pitter-patter. That undertone was meant only for you, no one else in your life experienced that kind of affection from him. It flattered you and once again confirmed your feelings for this man. And through all the chaos, he was still your constant.<br/>"I knew you'd save me," you said more quietly, so that he could just hear you over the din of the pack chasing you. "You would never let me down."<br/>"Never." you got as a simple reply, but it was so much more than that. Sasaki risked so much for you, he did everything to guarantee your safety. You, too, would give your life for him if the opportunity ever arose.<br/>It was not far to the harbor, from there you could simply steal a boat and finally escape from this damned island. Then it was only a few days to Wano and finally peace returned to your lives.<br/>With butterflies in your stomach, you resolved to confess your love to Sasaki. As soon as you landed in Wano again, you would tell him to his face. That you loved him, that you had loved him for so long and had never wanted to hurt him. You wanted to be with him every morning, every night and every second of the day.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Now or never</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>NSFW warning for this chapter! Explicit content~</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>For once, the rest worked like a clockwork. You arrived at Valhalla with only minor injuries, yet exhausted, stressed, and done with nerves. You had never in your life thought that this trip would cause such turmoil! You were all the happier when you were able to freshen up and change in your cabin.<br/>
You sat down on the small bed, sighed, and for the first time in days you didn't feel tense. The Valhalla made its way back to Wano and once there, life would go right back to normal. You did the bookkeeping for Maria, Sasaki shooed his people around the island, and you were able to find out what your relationship was all about. Was he your boyfriend? A romance? A simple flirtation? <br/>
It was late, but you kept listening for Sasaki and when he would come below deck. There was a meeting between him and the crew, a map was drawn up and so much more - but really you just wanted to see your lover. To thank him for his willingness to put himself in danger for you at a moment's notice. He hadn't hesitated to turn Joker's anger completely on himself just so you could be brought to safety - if that wasn't love, what was it? </p><p><br/>
When you heard heavy footsteps, you immediately listened. Straining to listen, the sound came closer and you heard the door opposite your cabin - Sasaki! <br/>
Glancing at the clock, you sighed, for it was long past midnight. He had spent so long talking with his people and sorting out what had happened that it was almost two in the morning. You were tired, but you just had to talk to him, quietly and in private. <br/>
As quietly as possible, you left your cabin, tiptoed across the hall and knocked on his door. The sound seemed so loud in the silence of the dormant ship, but after a second you heard a familiar growl. <br/>
"Sasaki? It's me," you said softly and opened the door a crack. At first you saw nothing, but then.... "Why are you lying on the floor?"<br/>
You closed the door behind you and watched Sasaki roll onto his back.<br/>
"Back pain from that awful bed at the hotel," you got in reply. "Destroying the Colosseum didn't really help with that either." <br/>
"Poor you, really." you quipped, standing wide-legged over him, giving him a big smile. "Good thing you're sleeping on a futon here, huh?"<br/>
"It's better for my back anyway," he replied, his blue eyes scrutinizing you as you leaned over him. You were wearing only a loose shirt and shorts, in itself the perfect outfit to sleep in - but you just had to talk to him, it couldn't wait. <br/>
"I wanted to thank you," you got to the point, sighing heavily. "If it wasn't for you, this all would have gone very wrong." <br/>
"Yes, it would have.", he agreed with you and you laughed at his ego. That was Sasaki as you loved him, a little too sure of himself. You liked that about him, because what was the harm in a healthy confidence? You could take a leaf out of his book sometimes! <br/>
You settled down on his lap, which immediately made your heart beat faster with excitement. The way you sat on him, your intention was more than clear, but he could still say no just as well. The business was done after all, now you could finally get to the pleasure. Where you had this courage, you did not know - but the chance to be alone with Sasaki was rare. You had to take advantage of that! <br/>
"If you don't stop now, this will end in pleasure," Sasaki tried to keep his self-control, and he pushed you away from him lightly by the shoulders. "Don't start anything you can't finish." <br/>
"Who says I can't finish it?" you asked teasingly in turn, brushing his hair out of his face. "Don't you think it's getting a little overdue?"<br/>
He snorted, but you knew full well that the two of you had the hots for each other for a long time. It had been going on for years and finally, <em>finally</em>  you had the chance to live it out! <br/>
"Have you thought about this well?" He asked this very honestly and you felt flattered by his concerns. He wasn't just out to get you laid, on the contrary, sex would give this relationship a physical meaning, then there was no going back. But that was exactly what you wanted. But did Sasaki want that too? <br/>
Determined, you leaned down to him and planted a kiss on his lips. Sasaki's ridiculously weak resistance melted away almost immediately, because he would definitely not let this chance slip away either. <br/>
"Really now, on the floor-" you didn't allow any backtalk, but gently placed your lips on his again. His hands, on the other hand, immediately settled on your back and goosebumps rose up to your neck as he touched your skin. Instinctively you pressed your pelvis closer to him and your kiss quickly became more erratic and demanding. Your hands stroked up to his neck and into his hair. The feel of his strands between your fingers, soft and by now so familiar - it sent a pleasant shiver through your body. Everything about him was so natural by now, every touch you allowed yourselves. And yet, your heart was beating up to your neck with excitement. A thousand times you had thought about this situation and yet, it was more than just arousing; It was new and yet so familiar. </p><p>Your grip in the wild mane became firmer and you pulled lightly on it, which elicited a soft sigh from him. He followed your action and let his warm fingers glide through your strands, which also resulted in an increasing excitement in you. The way he touched you was almost reverent, like a dream that ended immediately when it became interesting. <br/>
Your lips parted from him and while you leaned your face against the crook of his neck, he teased the delicate skin on your neck with the tips of his fangs. You gasped softly, for this feeling was beyond anything you could have ever imagined. Sasaki could bite your throat if he wanted to, with those dangerous fangs it would only take seconds - that only made it more arousing for you. <br/>
His hand traveled down your back to the waistband of your pants, and a particularly excited gasp escaped you as he crossed that line and his grip tightened around your ass. In response, you began to press your pelvis further and further against him - you had to admonish yourself to keep calm. You wanted to enjoy this, to the fullest.<br/>
"Sasaki...!" you gasped as he ran his hand down your hair, from your back to your side to your chest. His touches made your skin glow and you felt your cheeks grow warmer with each kiss and touch.<br/>
Your own impatience was unbearable, could you just think of having him over you, sweaty and moaning your name. The thought alone made you tremble with anticipation, and you felt all too clearly at your pelvis that it was pulling him along as much as it was pulling you along. He was already so hard that it made you shudder with anticipation.<br/>
Your own hands trailed down his chest, following the contours of his tattoos to the buckle of his belt. <br/>
"If you only knew how long I've been looking forward to this..." you growled, brushing your fingers over his crotch, causing his breath to hitch for a split second. You leaned a little closer to him.<br/>
"Or how many times I thought about you..." you murmured lasciviously in his ear. "In the shower, all alone with me and my imagination."<br/>
Blue eyes scrutinized you, glittering with excitement and raw lust. You knew Sasaki was just letting you do it - he wanted you to have the upper hand and feel comfortable with the whole thing. You set the pace, even though he was more the dominant part. <br/>
Your hand slid again over the fabric of his coat, which he always wore around his hips. You felt him tense under the touch and wrestle with himself. Amused you snorted, because it was clear that he wanted to have the say here. And as much as you were flattered that Sasaki let you set the entire pace - it was much more exciting when he just took what he wanted. All that was still stopping him was your consent, your verbal agreement. <br/>
"If it gets too much for me, I'll tell you," you said, pressing a kiss to him, emphatically. He returned it and the deal was sealed. He could take what he wanted, he could dominate you and do anything he wanted with you. It was more than clear what that was: he wanted you, <em><strong>now</strong></em>. <br/>
Sasaki grabbed your wrist and pulled your hand out from between your bodies. He stared at you out of two blue, greedy eyes and before you knew it he grabbed you by the waist and threw you onto your back. It pushed air out of your lungs, but only for a moment. You sucked in the air sharply, but it was more a mixture of honest surprise and the impact on the wood. An excited tingle ran through your abdomen, for the realization that he could handle you so easily was just - <strong><em>hot</em></strong>. <br/>
The wooden floor groaned under the sudden shift of your weight and within a second Sasaki was upon you, eyeing you like a predator eyeing its prey. You looked at him expectantly, lifting your hips a little - an invitation that he should touch you. </p><p>But he had other plans for you, because Sasaki slid his hands under your back and pulled you up as if you were light as a feather. While you watched the muscle play of his biceps - and it was so much more fascinating than you could have ever imagined - he pressed you against the wall and kissed you hungrily. The tip of his teeth scraped across your lower lip, he bit down lightly, and you gasped, a mixture of surprise and arousal. <br/>
His hand on your thigh, he pressed against you so you wrapped your legs around him and couldn't slide down the wall. This gave him the freedom to run his hand down your torso, all the way to your neck. Roughly, he grabbed your chin, deepening the kiss, and he squeezed your throat a little, but watched your reaction to it closely. You didn't mind a rougher hand, you thought, and you lifted your chin, giving him more of your throat and thus consent. Satisfied, Sasaki growled and continued to squeeze your now exposed throat, licking across your collarbone and pressing you even tighter against the wall with his own body. A wave of anticipation washed over you, expectation and the heat began to tingle almost unbearably under your skin.<br/>
Your hands traveled up his neck and buried themselves in the wild, green hair. It felt good to run your fingers through his wild mane, and the tips of his strands tickled your face as you leaned your forehead against his. In between all the lust and wanting, you both enjoyed this moment of emotional intimacy, because even though neither of you had said it yet: You loved each other. You silently confirmed this with another kiss, but this one was gentler, calmer, and went on for what felt like forever. <br/>
"Just look at you, so beautiful..." he murmured between two longing kisses. "I could stare at you all day long..." <br/>
As gentle as the kiss had started, it became more demanding, more greedy, and Sasaki bit your lower lip, forcing you to open your mouth fully and deepen the kiss once again. He made it clear to you without much ado that he wanted you - and that for a very long time. You were only too happy to let him, his hand pushing up your top and exploring the skin underneath. He briefly let go of your lips, licked demanding over your neck and elicited a soft moan from you with it. At the touch of his bare hand on your belly, a shiver ran over your body and a breathless sigh escaped you. The impatience grew more, you wanted to continue, to go all the way. Your partner, on the other hand, was enjoying every second, every moment, and he didn't seem to be in a big hurry. Your sighs drove him crazy, made him lick over your skin again and again, leaving tender bite marks just to hear those sweet, sweet sounds all over again. <br/>
His free hand went under your back, lifting you a bit, and he pulled your top over your head, tossing it carelessly to the floor and taking a moment to enjoy the view.<br/>
"Like you imagined?" you asked teasingly as your hand nuzzled the back of his neck. He laughed softly, but in no way averted his eyes from your body. <br/>
"Better.", he replied and you also already felt his hot tongue on your skin. His teeth just grazed your nipples and you were already sighing, demanding more attention and touch. It only spurred Sasaki on even more, the little sounds and noises he could elicit from you. <br/>
Your hands gripped tightly into that wild hair, your pulse doubling in a split second, and you pressed your pelvis against his expectantly. The hand at your back went to your waist, pressing you against the wall, and a harsh laugh escaped him.<br/>
"So impatient?" he murmured against the bare skin of your torso. The cool air chased goosebumps down your arms, up to your neck. You nodded mutely at his question, unable to answer anything that wasn't begging for more. Sasaki growled in satisfaction, full of anticipation, and he grabbed your thighs to lift you a little. </p><p>The desk in his cabin was rather decor than anything else, but at that moment very functional. Sasaki set you down on the tabletop, swept the books and papers to the floor with a quick movement, and finally bent over you with a broad grin on his face. Oh, you liked that look. He was clear that he wanted to get everything out of you, every little sound of pleasure. A predator playing with its prey before finally devouring it. <br/>
You heard the click of metal - his belt fell to the floor with a dull thud, and as he leaned down even further toward you, you clearly felt that he was also very turned on by you. With trembling fingers you put a hand on his chest, could feel the muscles and followed them down to his hip. Even through the fabric of his coat, pragmatically worn as a hakama, you felt exactly how aroused he was by you. A slight gasp was your reward as you traced delicate paths over his skin with your fingertips, all the way to the waistband of the fabric. Your hands slid under the fabric in one fluid motion. Your fingers felt his hardness, and Sasaki stopped his movement as your hand closed around his shaft. <br/>
"<em>Fuck</em>." he rumbled, but he regained his control so quickly that you barely had time to enjoy the desperate look of pure lust in his expression. <br/>
You felt his hand on your pelvis, pressing back towards him just a tiny bit - a silent invitation, a request for more. At last he complied with your request, and his fingers ran over the fabric of your pants almost agonizingly slowly, making you hold your breath in anticipation.<br/>
"Sasaki-" you started, but a hand on your neck silenced you and he kissed you greedily, enjoying how you squirmed under him. His hand squeezed tighter, cutting off your air for a few seconds, which only spurred you on. You liked that he took what he wanted. A hoarse moan came over your lips as he deftly opened your pants with just one hand and pulled them down over your hips. <br/>
"You seem to have planned this down to the last detail," you murmured and kissed him again, pulling his hair emphatically and making him moan. He laughed harshly and nodded.<br/>
"I've had a lot of time to think about it," he admitted, and with a tug he pulled you closer to him, pressing against your hip. "When did we meet? Four years ago? Five?"<br/>
"Almost six." you corrected him breathlessly, leaning your forehead against his chest as he tugged provocatively at the hem of your underwear. "Less talk, more sex." <br/>
"Your wish is my command." Before you knew what hit you, Sasaki was pulling your underwear down and his left hand was again running over your pelvis, admiring the soft skin. His fingertips finally stroked your most sensitive spot until you pressed impatiently against him, pleading and craving satisfaction. <br/>
After teasing you to the point of begging, he finally sank his middle and ring fingers inside you, making you suck in a sharp breath.<br/>
"Fuck-!" it escaped you softly, and you clung to his shoulders as your lover enjoyed every little sound of pleasure you made. He spread his fingers inside you as he watched you squirm beneath him, clinging to him as if your life depended on it. But Sasaki's self-control was fading as well, swept away by the way you softly sighed his name, completely engrossed in your own pleasure. <br/>
"M-More!" you finally demanded in a pleading undertone, and you if you wanted more, you should get it. The hand on your neck increased its pressure slightly and you sighed into the sweet pain. Sasaki's fingers devoted themselves entirely to you, eliciting a hoarse moan and nearly driving you out of your mind. You lifted your pelvis a little, wanting more of his touch and more of him. </p><p>"Sasaki,<em> please</em>-," you brought out softly and looked at him out of dark eyes clouded by lust and impatience, demanding and fiercely determined. He understood your request, of course, and you closed your eyes, full of anticipation of what was to come. Fabric fell to the floor, skin pressed against skin, and you felt him press you against the desk top to get an even better grip on you. Your mind was already barely aware of what was happening around you - all that mattered was Sasaki, who grabbed you and pulled you closer to the edge of the table with a jerk. <br/>
Hot breath on your skin gave you goosebumps and while the tips of his teeth left fine red lines on your neck, he lifted you slightly and paused, torturing you some more with burning anticipation. Warm hands ran over your thighs, straining your patience further and further. Your hand went down to your clitoris, everything in you finally wanted release from this orgasm that was on the brink. But even though your lover couldn't get enough of your naked skin, his breathing was also deep, full of tortured patience and his own greed for satisfaction. <br/>
Until at last he heard your silent plea and sank into you, slowly and still restrained. Sharply you sucked air into your lungs and squirmed under him, enjoying his every move. Slow and steady at first, he gave you time to get used to him. Then he quickly gave a hard and demanding rhythm, pulling you closer to him again and again to fully savor you. You put your legs around his waist, pulling him as close to you as it was possible. Your hands ran into his wild hair as he rested his left on the tabletop. <br/>
"Oh, <em>fuck</em>-!" you heard him moan softly as you rolled your hips in the rhythm he indicated, making him thrust even deeper. Your eyes met, and you couldn't do anything but grab him by the back of the neck and pull him down to you out of sheer affection for this man. You kissed Sasaki, erratic and asking for more, <em>more</em>, <strong><em>more</em></strong>. <br/>
"Harder!" you pleaded hoarsely as you pulled away from him, clinging to him and leaving red furrows on his back. He complied with your every plea immediately, as he did with this one. His rhythm became faster, harder and much rougher. The hand on your throat continued to squeeze and you briefly lost yourself in the sweet pain, moaning loud and hoarsely as he hit a particularly sensitive spot inside you. </p><p>You felt his breath on the skin of your neck and how his own breaths became more and more halting and irregular. It became hard to pull yourself together, it was almost impossible for you to hold out any longer. His naked skin on yours, the deep, rough growl in his throat and this man above you, the pure epitome of desire and lust. You wanted to cum, wanted to finally satisfy that desperate need inside you. <br/>
"Almost...," Sasaki growled, out of breath and his voice rough. He sank himself deep inside you one more time, deeper and harder than before. You thrust your pelvis toward him, wrapping your arms around his torso and pulling him tightly against you as his movements grew faster and faster, thrusting deeper and deeper into you. Your sighs blurred into each other, only choked breaths and a desperate whimper escaped your throat. You buried your nails in his skin, drawing red lines across his back and a deep moan now escaped him as well. His rough, hoarse voice moaned your name softly and he rested his forehead on your chest, gasping for breath. Sasaki paused for a moment, but then took a deep breath and continued the pace so that you too could finally cum. <br/>
"Cum for me, sweetheart-" he murmured harshly, and that was all you needed - the pent-up heat inside you collapsed, burying you beneath it, and with his name on your lips you finally got your longed-for release. </p><p> </p><p> </p>
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<a name="section0025"><h2>25. A tear in my sail</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>It was the first morning since Dressrosa on Valhalla.<br/>The sea was calm, the sun was just rising, and for a little moment your world was perfectly fine. Everything was fine.<br/>Dim light fell into the cabin and you yawned, turning over and snuggling closer to the body next to you. Between all the chaos of your assignment, the emotions, and the uncertain relationship between you and Sasaki - this morning was beyond all that. No sound except the crashing of the waves could be heard and it lulled you into a light, comfortable half-sleep.<br/>Peace was rare and for years you had not experienced it. From your turbulent past to your work at Woman Trouble, it was always hectic and stressful. Whether it was accounting, organizing the nearly 30,000 members of the Beast Pirates, or just your emotional chaos, there was always something going on. There was always an emergency and always a problem to solve, but not this morning.<br/>With a tired growl, Sasaki turned on his side and pulled you close, pressing his face into your hair.<br/>"Good morning.", you mumbled with a giggle and were squished a little, feeling a hand on your butt right away as well. While you were taken with the advances, it was simply too early for any escapades. Nevertheless, you pressed fleeting kiss on his chin and let yourself be pulled into a firm embrace.<br/>"I could get used to this," Sasaki murmured sleepily, and you laughed softly, completely lost in your affection for this man. Just the thought of you finally confessing your love to him in Wano warmed your heart. Your lives would never be the same, not after this adventure.<br/>You had left Onigashima with the vague understanding that you liked each other - and now it was so much more! Every moment you wanted to spend with Sasaki, and even if you were only together for a short time, it was unbearable for you. Was it an exaggeration that you missed him every second he was not around?<br/>Soon life would come to the ship, but until then you still had about half an hour of sweet togetherness. That was something that would probably not happen to you so often back home. You had more than enough to do and Sasaki had a lot of responsibility. Your love was not under a good star, it never had been. You two would have to show a lot of patience and perseverance once you went back to your daily routine in Wano.<br/>You noticed that Sasaki had been staring at you for some time - it almost unsettled you a little.<br/>"What are you looking at?" you asked instead, and he just snorted, not seeming to know exactly how to express himself. He had never been a man of big words, never been a sweet talker or anything like that. That's what you liked about him, he wasn't a pompous talker, but direct and to the point. Why couldn't all the other people be more like your lover?<br/>Instead of answering you, he took your hand and pressed a kiss on the inside of your wrist. This so intimate gesture made you sigh softly and you couldn't help but look at him, completely flustered and in love. You knew very well that there were some things he just couldn't tell you. Instead, he gave you his protection, his loyalty and those little moments of intimate togetherness.</p><p> </p><p>Even in the morning there was a lot of activity on the deck. The crew was small, but well trained and everything went like clockwork. If things continued like this, you would be back on Onigashima in just a few days. You were already longing for your room in Woman Trouble, for Nara and for your normality. You had to hold out until then, then there would finally be no more big escapades. You had really had enough of all the adventures for now!<br/>You stood next to Sasaki on the upper deck, you kept a little distance, but threw glances at each other now and then. For the crew, it was certainly more than obvious what was going on - but you wanted to maintain decorum as best you could.<br/>"Sasaki, you should see this!", Koma interrupted your affectionate exchange of glances. "Four ships coming from the southwest. Marines."<br/>"Marines?", he asked back immediately and you also listened up. "What are they doing here? The nearest island is not far away, and on this section they prefer to sail on the open sea!"<br/>"It's strange, yes," Koma admitted, scratching the back of his neck. "Usually they only sail this close to the islands when they want to dock. They come into range pretty quickly, and I'm sure they've spotted us by now."<br/>This was also directly confirmed when you heard the loud thunder and whistle of cannonballs. Instinctively you grabbed the railing, but there was no hit.<br/>"Boss, that's Kizaru's ship! And three more warships!!!" shouted up Ryuji, and Sasaki turned pale around the nose. It went the same way every time, you guys went from the frying pan into the fire!<br/>"What's an admiral doing here?!" he growled angrily, and you could once again hear the high-pitched whistle of cannonballs in the air, but they were not yet within your range. However, the fountains of hits in the sea were already throwing the first splashes of water on the deck and one thing was clear: you would not escape, not with a ship as heavy as the Valhalla.<br/>"Ryu, how many canonballs do we have?" blabbed Sasaki to the lower deck and Koma pondered, gesticulating wildly at that.<br/>"About... About 120-150 pieces, boss!" he shouted back and Sasaki cursed loudly. That wasn't enough in a lifetime to destroy three warships - not to mention that Kizaru wasn't considered merciless for nothing. A very deep-seated fear crept up your neck, and something told you that this day would not end well.<br/>"Sasaki." You stepped closer to him and instinctively gripped the fabric of his coat. Though you had unspoken rules about not showing your affection in public - fear overcame you in an icy wave. "What are we going to do now? There is no chance of escape or winning this."<br/>Your beloved was silent for a moment, weighing it up. Then he grabbed your hand and pulled you with him, down to the lower deck of the ship.<br/>"Ryu, keep Kizaru busy with the cannons," he instructed his vice. "She needs to get off the ship."<br/>"You got it, boss.", Ryu replied, and he nodded at you. "It was nice meeting you, princess."<br/>You were pulled below deck by Sasaki, but began to struggle against him.<br/>"What did Ryu mean by that?" you asked him immediately, squeezing his hand anxiously. "What do you mean I have to get off the ship? Where am I supposed to go, and what about you?"<br/>The words just bubbled out of you, driven by uncertainty and fear. You knew of course what was meant by it, but your mind did not want to understand what was at stake here: life and death. Against Kizaru you had no chance, not with only 30 people against hundreds of marines! You were plunged into ice-cold water when you understood what Sasaki was doing here. He wanted to save you and you alone. He was willing to sacrifice <em>everything</em> for you.<br/>"Sasaki, please-" you pleaded, trying to squirm out of his iron grip on your arm. "I don't want to go, I'll stay here with you!"<br/>He didn't answer, but pulled you even further through the bow of the ship. The noise and whistling of the flying cannonballs sent shivers down your spine. It was all a nightmare and the panic clouded every clear thought in your head. However, your instinct told you that you were safest near Sasaki - you didn't want to leave the ship! <br/>Behind you, a cannonball smashed through the wood and you had to be careful not to get a splinter in your face. By only a few feet, the bullet had missed you and Sasaki pulled you to him, pulling his coat over you to protect you from the flying splinters.<br/>"Sasaki-," you tried again, but he cut you off with a growl. You had arrived at the stern of the ship and with a mighty jerk he ripped open one of the loading hatches. The ship shook under another hit and you slapped your hand over your mouth, trembling with fear. You would be arrested and taken to Impel Down - or worse, just abandoned to the depths of the sea. You didn't want to die!<br/>Strong hands gripped the back of your neck and Sasaki pulled you close, kissing you once, twice, then three times - on your mouth, cheek and forehead. Tears gathered in your eyes and rolled down your cheeks as you saw the fear in his gaze. The sadness in his blue, beautiful eyes made you sob, for it was clear that this was goodbye.<br/>"No, no, no-!" you stammered immediately, grabbing the collar of his coat. "Please, come with me, I can-"<br/>He shook his head and kissed you again.<br/>"I have to stay. I have to keep you safe." he said and you immediately shook your head, pressing your forehead against his. It was a pleading gesture, because you didn't want to leave him. You didn't want to lose the love of your life, not in this place, not like this.  <br/>"Don't leave me!" you pleaded, and another hit shook the ship, only pushing Sasaki further to pull you to safety. He grabbed your upper arm and urged you toward the hatch, kissing you one last time.<br/>"I wish we had more time," he said sadly, and before you could cling to him any further, he pushed you into the sea.</p><p> </p>
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<a name="section0026"><h2>26. I tremble</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>The next thing you could remember were rough hands pulling you out of the water. Someone pulled you onto a boat, you felt the wood under your body, and with a cough you spit the water out of your lungs.<br/>"Hey, lady, take it easy." Your vision was blurry, after all, you were almost drowning - but you recognized the vague outline of an older man. It had to be a fisherman from the nearby island! "Calm down. What are you doing in the middle of the sea?"<br/>"The ship- Wh-Where's the ship?" you asked in a raspy voice, looking around frantically.<br/>"The pirates? The Marines took them, ship and all." The man gently put a hand on your back, but you just shook your head.<br/>"Taken?" you asked weakly. "Taken where?!"<br/>"To the new base on our island," the man explained. "Fresh out of the ground. You're safe now, the pirates can't hurt you."<br/>It took you a moment to understand it all. This little island in the middle of nowhere was now a Marine base? And the man thought you had been a prisoner of the pirates...?<br/>"I need to go ashore," you choked out, fighting the nausea in your stomach. You had swallowed a lot of salt water and your body was rebelling against it. But you suppressed the urge to vomit over the railing, even though it wasn't easy. "Please, I need to get to a city."<br/>Panic made you blind and deaf to everything else - you had to save Sasaki and the others. How you were going to do that all by yourself, you didn't know. An admiral had arrested them, confiscated the Valhalla, and you were left looking pretty stupid. What were you supposed to do, all on your own?<br/>"Here's a towel. It's a little dirty, sorry." The old fisherman pressed a towel into your hand and you nodded gratefully as the first tears of despair rolled down your cheeks. There had to be something you could do to save the others!<br/>"You really don't have to be afraid, we even have an admiral here! Kizaru came to our little island especially to inaugurate the base in a week," the man tried to reassure you further. He had a good heart, but if he knew that you were a pirate - then he would surely not be so nice to you. But what was he saying about an initiation...?<br/>"Can you take me directly to the Marine base?" you finally asked, and your stubbornness prevailed. You would save Sasaki and the other nakama, come what may!<br/>"To the base?" the man asked immediately. "Ah... Why is that, if you don't mind me asking?"<br/>"I'm a Marine captain, that's why," you replied coolly, and once again it was up to you to play a role. Only this time the stakes were significantly higher. "Captain Blanca. The pirates kidnapped me on my way to this base."</p><p> </p><p>With your head held high, but still dripping wet, you walked to the large gate of the Marine base. G22 was written large on the white stone of the main building and you swallowed against the raw fear in your stomach. You would do absolutely anything to make sure Sasaki was safe - just as he would do for you, without even the slightest hesitation.<br/>"Stop! Don't take another step!" The guards outside the gate immediately raised their rifles as you approached. "Identification!"<br/>"Captain Blanca, Marine code 0405-12, I'm sure I'm expected," you replied, wringing out the sleeve of your top. "Is the admiral available? I heard he took the pirates who captured me on their ship."<br/>The two guards looked at each other in confusion, but one of them then nodded promptly to the other.<br/>"Vice Admiral Strawberry didn't say anything about a captain," one of the guards said, and he raised his rifle again. Your heart raced in your chest, pounding wildly against your ribs and making you break out in a cold sweat. Your bluff could and probably would backfire, as obvious as the deception was.<br/>"Wait a minute, didn't he say a Commodore was being transferred to this base?" the other of the two soldiers suddenly asked quietly. The two put their heads together, but you quickly intervened.<br/>"I was Commodore until that escapade with the warehouses on Calinko," you babbled between them, shaking your head, playfully embarrassed and ashamed. "Akainu almost made me a head shorter! I'm still officially listed as a Commodore, but.... Well, what can I say... I'm a Captain now."<br/>You came a little closer and coughed theatrically. The two soldiers began to give way and you could hardly believe your luck when they finally stepped aside.<br/>"I have to go change and thank Admiral Kizaru," you said, "He saved my life, albeit unknowingly."<br/>The soldiers had the gate opened for you and you nodded to them as you passed. With your posture as tight as possible, you walked across the base's courtyard, where work was bustling. Walls were being finished plastering, equipment was still standing around, and the Marine's seagull had not yet been drawn on the stone of the building. This base was really brand new, the old fisherman had not exaggerated!<br/>"Good morning, -eh" A young recruit greeted you with a salute, but didn't know your name or rank, so he stuttered. You nodded generously to him and looked around briefly.<br/>"Captain Blanca." you told him, crossing your arms behind your back to look as important and authoritative as possible. "I'm looking for Strawberry to check in. Due to the pirates captured today, my arrival has unfortunately been delayed."<br/>But before the busy little soldier could run off and you had a chance to sneak into the base - suddenly Vice Admiral Strawberry himself was standing behind him. You could swear your heart skipped a beat - what if the Vice saw through your lies? Then you would be arrested immediately, in the middle of the lion's den, and it would all be over!<br/>But instead of panicking, you obediently clicked your heels together and saluted the Vice Admiral. That's how you had learned it as a child from your parents, who had both worked for the Marines. While you preferred to leave your past behind - you were a pirate, after all - growing up in a Marine base finally proved to be an advantage for you.<br/>"Sir, I'm Captain Blanca," you introduced yourself using your fake name. "Please accept my apologies for the delay! I was delayed by pirates!"<br/>Strawberry seemed to think for a moment, but then nodded at you. You had heard many times that this Vice Admiral was a snark, and the rumors were true. He snorted deeply and rummaged around in his pocket, finally pulling out a pack of mints.<br/>"Want one?" he asked calmly, and you lowered your hand from your salute in irritation.<br/>"Eh-thank you." You reached out and Strawberry watched the workers on the wall for a moment, sighing.<br/>"What a day this must have been for you," he finally said, stepping aside, an invitation to enter the base. "I suggest you change your clothes. Civilian clothes don't exactly represent proper rank on a new base like this."<br/>"Of course!" you replied obediently, and followed the Vice, a bit wobbly on your feet. How did you get so lucky?!<br/>"Say, what was that about pirates? They took you?" he asked you as he led you into the building. The hallway still smelled of the white wall paint and you wrinkled your nose slightly. "We already have them in custody, they are members of Kaido's crew."<br/>"Yes, they are," you confirmed, "They intercepted my ship and took me away. I'm glad Admiral Kizaru distracted them, it allowed me to escape."<br/>"You were traveling alone?" echoed Strawberry, and you immediately realized that was unusual for a Marines Captain. You cleared your throat sheepishly and nodded. Your brain was working at full speed to make the lies sound as believable as possible. Don't lay it on too thick, that was the basic rule for a good lie. Keep it simple, but believable. If it sounds a little embarrassing, people won't ask any further questions.<br/>"Oh, yeah, I did. Between you and me, sir, I wanted to take a breath before I got here," you replied, fervently hoping he was satisfied with that. To your surprise, Strawberry chuckled and then nodded eagerly.<br/>"Yes, a newly initiated base like this can be exhausting. This is the third one I've inducted. It's chaotic every time."<br/>He stopped at a junction in the hallway and you did the same.<br/>"I bet you left your transfer order at the bottom of the sea, huh?" he asked and you nodded, trying to look as embarrassed as possible.<br/>"Yes sir, along with my belongings," you confessed, "I'll call for replacements as soon as I can!"<br/>"Good, that's good." he grumbled, giving another light sigh. "The transponder snails will be in place by the end of the week, but there shouldn't be a problem until then. The Captain and Commodore's quarters are down the hall to the right. Hama and Koshiro have already arrived."<br/>You nodded, tried to pretend you knew the names - then saluted again, and with all the politeness and correct posture, Strawberry just waved goodbye and walked back into the courtyard, where he apparently had a lot of work to do.<br/>When he was out of sight, you took a deep breath and continued down the hall, unsure which door to open.<br/>"Hey, you there!" You flinched barely noticeably, but turned around to find yourself being glared at by a blonde female soldier. "What are you doing here! Who are you?"<br/>She approached you and you gulped against your dry mouth. Great, another soldier you had to lie to! You had a dull feeling that this thing was going to go totally wrong.<br/>"My name is Blanca," you introduced yourself, thanking your mother for her maiden name. It was easy to remember and people quickly forgot that name. You had used it many times as a false name when you had had to muddle through somewhere. "I'm the Captain who was stupid enough to let herself be captured by Kaido's people and whose ass was saved by Kizaru."<br/>The blonde looked at you for a moment, eyed you - and then laughed.<br/>"No way!!" she laughed loudly, trying to hide her laughter behind her hand though. "I want to hear that story later at dinner! I'm Captain Hama, pleased to meet you."<br/>You shook her hand and were surprised at how nice this young woman seemed to be. In general, you were amazed at how nice the Marines people were. Even if you were just logging through, they all seemed to be.... normal people. They were nice, at least as long as they thought you were one of them.<br/>"The room next to mine is free," Hama said, nodding toward one of the doors. "The quarters are already fully furnished and I think you should change first. You're wet and you smell like fish."<br/>"A fisherman pulled me out of the sea," you admitted, swaying your head slightly. "I'm going to freshen up. And - I'll see you at dinner?"<br/>"Yeah, I'd love to. I'll pick you up and show you around the base," Hama offered and you smiled gratefully, turning away and disappearing into the room she had suggested. After the door closed behind you, you immediately turned the key around and sank to the floor by the door.</p><p>"Holy shit..." you muttered, burying your face in your hands. "Oh my God, what am I doing here! <strong><em>Fuck</em></strong>!"<br/>Your instincts told you to climb out of the window and run away, start a new life and never even look towards Wano again. Panic made you cry again and you sobbed, as quietly as possible. This plan was absolutely insane, completely crazy and you were gambling with your life, Sasaki's and his people's lives. Every decision you made had serious consequences and you felt crushed by that responsibility.<br/>"Son of a bitch!" you cursed softly and stood up, wiping the tears from your face. You had to shower, change, and play this role like your life depended on it - which it did, actually. Either you became a Marine captain now, or you would never see Sasaki again. It was time to prove that you weren't the chief accountant of the Beast Pirates for nothing!</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0027"><h2>27. Keep me closer</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><br/>
"And this is the way to the armory." Hama nodded to a large door made of solid wood, secured by several locks. "So far, though, only black powder and swords are stored inside. We'll get the cannons next week."<br/>
"Ah, so the walls are unprotected until then?" you inquired, and Hama frowned.<br/>
"Yeah, sure - but I doubt anyone will attack us until next week," she replied and you moved on, hastily closing in on her.<br/>
"Those Kaido pirates were very close to the base, too," you interjected. "I heard it was one of his officers, Sasaki. The Demon of Onigashima."<br/>
"Yes, but there were so few people on board! Usually Kaido's people travel in large groups.", Hama pondered aloud and snorted. "But let's face it, even a pirate with nearly 700 million in bounty money doesn't stand a chance against Admiral Kizaru!" <br/>
Your stomach clenched at the thought that Sasaki might be seriously injured. But how were you supposed to ask Hama about it without looking suspicious? <br/>
"They're still here at the base, right?" you asked. "Not to be gloating, but I'd still like to rub their noses in the fact that they're at our mercy. My mercy, if you will." <br/>
Hama swayed her head slightly. <br/>
"I'm not usually a fan of personal vendettas," she admitted, but gave you a sly sideways glance. "But since they kidnapped you, I can understand. If you want, we can switch. I'm responsible for the prisoners, but to be honest - organizing the weapons is much more up my alley."<br/>
Your features almost slipped at this offer, because it was just perfect - you could keep an eye on your nakama and plan the escape with them! <br/>
"That's very kind of you," you thanked the blonde politely. "But I don't want you to get in trouble." <br/>
"Oh come on, that's the good thing about a new base," she waved it off. "Nothing's set in stone yet! So you're in charge of the prisoners now. At least I won't have to keep going down to that disgusting basement, boo!" <br/>
"Did you get special instructions?" you asked, and Hama nodded. You arrived in front of a large metal gate, which by all appearances was the way down to the cells. Everything in you was screaming to finally see Sasaki - but you couldn't let your nervousness show. <br/>
"Yes, indeed. Some were injured, so the doctor comes once a day to keep them together," Hama explained, and she tilted her head slightly, watching you. "Are you all right?"<br/>
"What? Oh, yes, yes." you replied immediately, swallowing against the painful lump in your throat. "It's just that my stay with them wasn't very pleasant, and I'd like to return the favor." <br/>
Hama looked around the hallway furtively, even though there was no one there but you. <br/>
"Well, I'm sure there's still half an hour before dinner," she said, handing you the heavy bunch of keys. "You should introduce yourself properly to them, don't you think?"</p><p> </p><p>The steps down into the cellar vaults were made of stone and it muffled your steps a little. If they were made of metal, then everyone could hear you coming, but the stone was quite soft and you could fortunately move quietly. You had to go through two heavy metal doors until you finally arrived at a reinforced gate. It had two locks and you fumbled with the key ring, your hands shaking and close to tears. What if Sasaki and the others were really hurt that badly? Hama said a doctor had to check on them every day-were they being cleaned up for transport to Impel Down? <br/>
The base's cells were cut into the underground rock, and iron and sea stone bars held the prisoners in place. At the door sat two guards who immediately jumped up and saluted you dutifully. You nodded to the two and fastened the bunch of keys to your belt so that everyone would see that you were in charge. <br/>
"Captain Blanca." you introduced yourself, as coolly and curtly as possible. "I will be in charge of this area. And also for our... guests."<br/>
"Yessir!", the two replied in chorus and you nodded in satisfaction.<br/>
"I'll introduce myself to our guests, even though we've already made passing acquaintance," you continued, taking a step into the room. The white naval coat was heavy on your shoulders and the boots pressed terribly - but you strutted in it like a real admiral. This role was awkward to play, but you did everything for your nakama and Sasaki! <br/>
"You go outside.", you directed the two soldiers, with a cold smile on your lips. "I want to make sure how well I will get along with our guests."<br/>
The two soldiers hesitated, but with a dismissive gesture you sent them away. They closed the door behind them with a loud thump and you were alone in the vault with your nakama. <br/>
Slowly, you stalked down the hallway, cautiously glancing around the empty cells. In case there were other prisoners here, you wanted to keep up appearances of the nasty Marine Captain. You could hear low murmurs from the back of the vault, where you could spy three cells in the dim light of the lamps. Slowly you walked on, careful to move quietly. Small stones and the white dust of the light rock around you crunched under your soles. The sound seemed so loud in that oppressive silence, in that heavy darkness around you. <br/>
The whispers around you died as you reached the end of the vault. Your appearance as a full-fledged Marine soldier apparently made an impression, for under the visor of your cap you saw the evil glances of your nakama. Hatred met you, for they really thought you were their enemy.<br/>
At the very end of the vault was a low-lying cell, and between the bars you saw that it was Sasaki. They had chained him - probably sea stone - and he was injured. Your heart leapt with joy that he was still alive - but hurt when you saw his injuries. Although he had been treated by the base doctor, you saw how badly Kizaru had battered him. <br/>
Before you could stop it, a deep sob shook your body and you put your hands over your mouth to stifle it. Instantly, all eyes were on you, the wailing soldier. <br/>
"Sasaki! I was so worried!!" you burst out through your tears and rushed to the grate, sinking to your knees in front of it. Immediately, his people in the two cells to the left and right rushed to the bars, completely surprised to see you in this place. Even more so, disguised like that! <br/>
You heard the rattling of chains on his wrists and Sasaki stared at you as if you were a hallucination. Then he threw himself against his shackles and growled angrily at you.<br/>
"Are you stupid?!" he blasphemed and you felt his fear, anger and desperation. "I save your skin and you sneak in here!!! What the hell is wrong with you!!!"<br/>
You opened your mouth but closed it again without saying anything. There you were risking your skin and this is how he reacted to you? <br/>
"Ungrateful asshole!" you hissed and slam your hand against the bars. "I risk my neck by pretending to be a captain and what do you do, yell at me? What the hell is wrong with <strong><em>you</em></strong>?!!"<br/>
Annoyed groans came from the two cells next to you squabblers and Ryu intervened.<br/>
"Settle this when we get out of here, lovebirds." he said, eyeing you. "Gotta say though, not bad. Sneaking in here like a spy.... What's the plan, princess?"<br/>
Again you opened your mouth, but it wasn't all that easy. How were you going to get three dozen pirates out of here just like that? And steal the Valhalla from the dock to boot? <br/>
"Yeah, figured," Koma grumbled. "So much for the plan, huh?"<br/>
"I just need a little more time!" you replied, exasperated. "I'll get you guys out of here! All I need is time. Kizaru is running around here and they can't suspect-"<br/>
"Get your ass out of here!" growled Sasaki in a low voice, interrupting your train of thoughts. "I made this decision when I got you off the boat. So you better get your ass out of this base <em>right now</em>!"<br/>
"Boss has a point there," Ryu said, leaning against the bars of the cell. "It's real noble, princess - but there's no way you're gonna get us out of here in just six days." <br/>
You furrowed your brows. Six days?</p><p>"What do you mean by that?" you inquired, but with an extremely uneasy feeling in your stomach. Your nakama looked at the ground, shuffling in the dust, and you turned to Sasaki, who was still staring angrily at you.<br/>
"The execution is in six days," he said, and your mouth dropped open. You jumped up from the floor and looked at your friends. They didn't look at you, no one dared to confirm the bad news to you: If you couldn't get them out of those cells in the next six days, they would all be killed at the opening of the Marine base. <br/>
"They can't do that," you said, refusing to accept the truth. "They can't kill all of you-"<br/>
"It's more about Sasaki himself. We're just table decorations, you might say. Collateral damage.", Ryu interrupted you and you fell silent, feeling the tears in your eyes again. Had your lover suspected from the beginning that it would come to this? That he, being a very notorious pirate, would not only enter Impel Down? <br/>
"But executions are so rare!" you tried to make sense of it all. "Why would the Marines do that?"<br/>
"An example, an appropriate attraction for the inauguration of this base, Kizaru just had a bad day - take your pick. We've come to terms with that. All the worse that you came here.", Sasaki growled behind you and you whirled around, kicking the bars of his cell angrily. <br/>
"I don't care if you give up!" you hissed, scared and angry at him at the same time. Sasaki wasn't usually like that! His stubbornness was legendary and he was indomitable, never giving up even in the face of a hopeless battle. Everyone knew that Sasaki always got back up when he was down. So why did he act like he had already given up? <br/>
"You know what?" You leaned your face close to the bars and looked him in the eye. "I'm going to get your asses out of here and then you and I are going to have a serious talk about our <em>relationship</em> for once." <br/>
"Our <strong><em>relationship</em></strong>?" he asked, and you nodded emphatically. <br/>
"It can't be that my boyfriend is such a wimp and gives up right away when things get tough."<br/>
Silence dominated the room for a moment, only stiffened by the exhausted gasp of Sasaki. He shook his head and laughed softly, then nodded in agreement.<br/>
"All right, then," he agreed. "If you actually manage to get us out of here, then we'll talk about our <em>relationship</em>." <br/>
"Fine." You felt the slight blush on your cheeks, despite all the fear and seriousness of the situation. So with that, it was clear between the two of you what you were to each other. About time, you thought, and said goodbye to your nakama so you wouldn't arouse any suspicion towards Hama and the soldiers outside the door. <br/>
"Your girlfriend is really brave, boss.", Ryu said when the door had closed behind you. Sasaki laughed raucously, which turned into a hoarse cough. His broken ribs were giving him a hard time, but at that moment he was very impressed with your performance and your seemingly endless willpower.<br/>
"Yes, she really is," he agreed with his vice. "And a megalomaniac at that." </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0028"><h2>28. It's a sinister world</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A little later, you sat down to dinner with Hama and Koshiro. Hama told you about her terrible training under Dalmatian, while Koshiro bragged about his adventures. You listened with only half an ear, for the conversation at the table behind you was far more interesting.<br/>"...supposed to be in the docks in the harbor. I've rarely seen such an armored battleship! What a waste, such a pirate ship..."<br/>"Yes, that subordinate of Kaido's really had a swimming fortress.... It will probably be dismantled as soon as the cranes are erected at the harbor."<br/>"That's a lot of steel we're getting."<br/>"Hah, yeah!"<br/>Your heart beat faster as you overheard the two soldiers' conversation. So the Valhalla was at the dock and still appeared to be intact - but how did you get her out to the open sea? And how could you stop the Marines from dismantling the ship?<br/>"Tell me, Hama," you finally interrupted the blonde. "When are you supposed to finish the base?"<br/>"Why do you ask?" she echoed, and you waved it off as innocently as possible.<br/>"Oh, no reason. It's all only half finished here..." you talked your way around it, but hoped for information on the schedule.<br/>"In four days the harbor will be finished, then finally more than just four ships can dock - Koshiro and I had to dock at the other end of the island, can you believe it!", Hama babbled off, and you knew you'd get all the information you needed out of her. "In six days, the base is supposed to be completely ready. I don't know if we'll be able to do that, though..."<br/>"Well, Kizaru is only here to inaugurate the base. It's supposed to be the new hub for communication with the Celestial Dragons, after all," Koshiro interjected, giving you a suspicious sideways glance. "But that aside, Blanca, you're asking quite a lot. And I've never heard of you before."<br/>Luckily, you had already mentally prepared yourself for such questions and it almost surprised you that only now someone became suspicious of you. Sure, Hama was really gullible, but not even Vice Admiral Strawberry had asked questions!<br/>"I was stationed on a small island for a very long time," you explained to Koshiro with a smile. "My parents died from the epidemic on Calos. I therefore took over my father's Marines code."<br/>That was only half a lie, you thought wistfully. Your parents had really died, and the identification code you used was your father's. The best lies always had a little bit of truth in them, you thought. It made the lie come much easier to your lips.<br/>"You mean that terrible disease that almost wiped out an entire island?" asked Hama, and she turned a little pale around the nose. "Oh, Blanca, I'm so sorry!"<br/>Against your will, you felt sympathy for the blonde soldier. Her condolences were sincere and you almost felt sorry that you had to lie to her like that. In another life you might have become friends, who knew?<br/>"It's all right," you only placated her, however. "I'm glad to finally be able to serve in civilization again! That little base on the edge of the Grand Line was cold and dreary."<br/>"I heard you didn't turn in your transfer order." Koshiro leaned on the table and wrinkled his nose at you. "Don't tell me you're a fraud?"<br/>Before you could answer anything, however, Hama smacked his upper arm.<br/>"You don't joke about something like that!" she snarled and punched him again, at which point Koshiro cursed softly and ran off in a huff. The blonde snorted angrily after him and gave you an apologetic look.<br/>"Don't blame him, he's a little paranoid," Hama said, pushing the rest of her food away from her. "And he's ruined my appetite too, the jerk."<br/>"I don't blame him, he's right after all," you sighed heavily. "My rendition order is somewhere at the bottom of the sea.... I'd be suspicious of me there too, really."<br/>"Nonsense!" retorted Hama immediately. "Just because of a piece of paper like that, what a total nonsense! You can tell you're a Marine through and through!"<br/>At that, you couldn't say anything back, because she really had a terrible understanding of human nature. You were a pirate through and through, and the tattoo of Kaido's Jolly Roger on your back confirmed it. You could only hope that none of the marines would see your back, because then it was over and done with.</p><p> </p><p>It was getting later and later, and your first night at the base was coming up. But you wouldn't be able to sleep anyway, because in the cellar vaults below you sat all your nakama, whose lives hung by a thread. Doubts haunted you all day long, because you asked yourself: Could you really perform the miracle and get them all out of here unharmed?<br/>The day before the opening would be the best opportunity to get them out of here. There was a lot going on in the coming days, the Marines were behind schedule, and so your preparations would not be noticed.<br/>You had the keys to the cells before, but not the keys to the sea stone handcuffs. If you could free Sasaki, then the rest would go much easier. If not, then you just had to get them all onto the Valhalla and then out to sea - you could always get rid of the sea stone handcuffs later.<br/>Your stomach ached worse as you thought of all the problems and possible disasters. What if Kizaru got wind of it? Or if you couldn't get the Valhalla off the heavy chains in the dock? Or if they moved up the execution?<br/>"Good evening, am I interrupting?" Until that moment, you had been staring out one of the windows, watching the sunset - but you flinched when you heard a voice behind you. Immediately you wheeled around and your heart stopped.<br/>"Sir Admiral!" You saluted immediately and cold sweat broke out from under your uniform. Oh no, Kizaru of all people...! "Good evening, sir!"<br/>"So formal, really." Behind the orange lenses of his sunglasses, the admiral eyed you intently. The crooked grin was just a facade, you sensed that immediately. He was not an admiral for nothing and you had to be very careful that he did not see through you immediately. "Other soldiers can take a leaf out of your book."<br/>"Thank you." you replied, bowing your head respectfully.<br/>"You're the captain who was kidnapped by Kaido's people, aren't you?" he inquired, putting his hands in his pockets. This gesture actually seemed so casual, but the hair on the back of your neck stood out in fear. He was menacing, through and through.<br/>"Yes, sir. I was intercepted on my way here and Sasaki captured me," you replied.<br/>"Sasaki?" inquired Kizaru, and he tilted his head slightly. "You speak very familiarly of that rabble."<br/>That was your first mistake, you thought, and you had to put yourself out of that misery. Of course you spoke so familiarly of your boyfriend, how else?<br/>"Forgive me, but I have no respect for that pack of pirates," you said, hoping that was enough to appease him. "Sasaki wasn't a very good host, and I'm sure I'll be able to return the favor soon."<br/>"I understand." Kizaru seemed to respond, but it was hard to tell with this man. He really wasn't easy to judge and you would do anything to avoid him!<br/>"Is there anything else I can help you with, Admiral?" you asked. He seemed to weigh it up, but then shook his head slightly.<br/>"Not per se, no." Oh, you didn't like his tone at all. "However, I would need a trustworthy person to help me with something."<br/>"Are you referring to me?"<br/>"Why yes, if time permits." You nodded immediately and he beckoned to you, instructing you to follow him. Hastily you closed in on him, but then besonned yourself and put your shoulders back. MArine soldiers always strutted around like that, you tried to imitate it as best you could.<br/>"Excuse me, but may I ask what I can be of assistance with?" you asked after Kizaru finally stopped at the door to the basement vault. You realized that you would have preferred to skip this one - because this was the staircase that led down to the cells. To the prisoners. Not good.<br/>"It has come to my attention that we have no official record of you. Nothing more than the names of your fallen parents.", Kizaru finally said, and he stepped aside so you could unlock the door. You complied and fumbled with the keychain, but with a stone in your stomach. This was not going to end well! "Let's just say I'm all about a vote of confidence."<br/><br/>You found it difficult to swallow, but now you couldn't get out of this situation. What did he mean by proof of trust? No matter what it was, with Kizaru it could not be good.<br/>The two guards in the vault immediately stood at attention when you entered the cells together with Kizaru. With just a single glance, Kizaru sent them out and together you walked a short distance until you arrived at the occupied cells at the end of the corridor.<br/>You didn't dare say anything, the way fear was breathing down your neck. A bad premonition came over you and it was confirmed when you saw Koma chained outside the cell. They had chained him to a metal ring on the floor so that he could not even stand up. You felt sick, but you couldn't let it show. If you made a single mistake now, Kizaru would kill you all on the spot!<br/>None of your nakama gave even a sign of recognition when they saw you, not even Sasaki moved. He just stared unceasingly at Kizaru, as if he was just trying to kill him with glances.<br/>"You'll get a chance to return the favor, just as you wished," the admiral said, and he pressed a riffle into your hand. "After all, it is the fault of these pirates that my trust in you has been broken, right?"<br/>The weight of the weapon was heavy in your hand and the world stopped. Admiral Kizaru demanded from you to <em>kill</em> Koma. You couldn't do that - but if you refused, the hoax would blow up. You had no choice, no matter how you turned it around. Your brain was racing, but there was simply no solution to this situation. To save everyone, to save Sasaki, you had to kill Koma.<br/>"A chance like no other." you turned to Kizaru and bowed your head in a respectful nod. "Thank you."<br/>"But of course." He stepped back, leaning against one of the cells, watching you. Your hands, on the other hand, were shaking so badly you almost couldn't load the rifle. You pretended to take your time leisurely - but everything in you resisted doing so. There was no turning back, no way out of this misery. A life to save the other prisoners. You had never wanted more to be in someone else's skin. What you would give to be someone else now, no matter who!<br/>You put on the rifle and with all your might you blanked out the world around you. You looked at Koma as he sat in chains in front of you - but without anger in his gaze.<br/>"Do it, you have no choice." he said softly, so softly that Kizaru couldn't hear it from his position. Tears welled up in your eyes and all you felt was despair, anger, and fear.<br/>"I'm so scared.", you whispered to him and unlocked the gun. "And I'm so, <em>so</em> sorry."<br/>"I know.", Koma said and he closed his eyes, awaiting his fate. At that moment, an incredible amount of respect for him sprouted in you, for who could claim to be so brave and face their fate so valiantly?<br/>Your gaze flitted up from Koma's face to Sasaki, who was staring at you out of his blue eyes. You wanted to tell him that you were sorry, that you had no choice - could Sasaki ever look you in the eye again if you had killed one of his men just like that? Even that you had to accept, because if it saved his life.... Then it was worth it. You would do anything to save your beloved, even if you had to do terrible things for it. The only question was whether you would ever be able to look in the mirror again afterwards.<br/>"Please forgive me," you begged softly and pulled the trigger.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0029"><h2>29. Leave it up to me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>"Well, that's a start." Kizaru patted you encouragingly on the shoulder and turned away while you still clung to the rifle. "I look forward to our continued cooperation."<br/>You heard his footsteps fade away and the heavy door to the staircase slam shut. You held your breath for another moment, waiting to see if the two guards would come back inside - but they did not. Apparently they were waiting for you to leave the vault first.<br/>Silence. Not one of the people present even moved, not an inch. You stared at the blood spreading across the floor, and in your mind everything was engulfed in a dense fog. Muffled you heard the rumbling of the weapon that fell on the ground. It was impossible for you to take your eyes off the ground - not even when Sasaki said your name. In the distance, you could make out his voice, but it didn't get through to you.<br/>"Y/N! Hey!!!" You startled out of your trance as Sasaki spoke more insistently to you. For a few seconds you stared at him, then looked back up at the blood and up at your lover. This was real, it was really happening - the fog lifted a little and you sobbed out, overcome by reality.<br/>"I-I-I didn't mean to," you stammered, stepping back a little. "Sasaki, I'm so sorry, I-"<br/>"Come here, come to me." He pulled on his chains and stood up, walking as close as he could to the bars of his cell. You walked around the puddle on the floor, your legs wobbly and your knees weak. You desperately wiped the tears from your face, but they would not stop. You kept crying, sobbing, and staring again at the body on the floor.<br/>"Hey, look at me, just me." You looked back at Sasaki, who was leaning against the bars and seemed to be as wobbly on his feet as you were. He was still hurt, after all. "That's good."<br/>"I didn't mean to," you said, wiping your face with your sleeve. "I was trying to avoid Kizaru, b-but he found me and-"<br/>"It's not your fault," he said softly, and at your nod, he sighed heavily. "That's life as a pirate. We all know what we're getting into and what can happen to us. You need to finally understand that this isn't a game."<br/>That, however, ignited the spark of anger inside you. Did Sasaki really think you were taking this whole thing lightly? Who did he think he was anyway! You risked your life to save him from certain death and he still thought of you like you were a mere bystander?!<br/>"I know that!" you retorted fiercely, wiping the rest of your tears from your face with your sleeve, which were quickly ebbing away under your anger. "You keep acting like I'm some helpless, stupid goose. I'll be fine, even if I handle things differently than you! You can't always put your head through the wall!!! So stop questioning my every decision!"<br/>Speechless, his blue eyes were fixed at you, because you had never spoken to him like that before. But that didn't stop him from getting just as fired up as you were.<br/>"Because I have to save your ass from morning till night! If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't even have made it to Dressrosa!" he growled angrily, pressing himself against the bars. Of course he was upset, you were too - but you were also fed up. After all, you were one of the Beast Pirates and you wanted to be taken seriously, just like everyone else! You were all pirates and stuck together, even in such hopeless situations. Even though your nakama may not have believed in you - they would once you got them out of here.<br/>"I'm going to save all your pelts, whether you like it or not," you just growled through the bars, though, adjusting your cap with the Marines logo. Forgotten was your self-pity and a cold ambition seized you completely. "Just because your ego can't stand having to be rescued yourself for a change, doesn't mean you have to take it out on me."<br/>You turned on your heel and strutted through the spreading blood with more willpower than you ever expected from yourself. Come what may, it flashed through your mind. If only to prove to Sasaki that you were as strong as he was!</p><p> </p><p>"Get rid of that mess in there," you coldly sneered at the two soldiers in front of the door. They saluted you, but you sensed their reluctance. You couldn't blame them, because who wanted to spend the whole evening cleaning up blood? However, you immediately sorted your thoughts again and hurried up the stone stairs. It was time to act, especially since Kizaru was already breathing down your neck. This show of confidence towards him wouldn't last long, so you had to speed the whole thing up a bit.<br/>"Hey, you two - wait a minute." You intercepted two soldiers, both holding reams of paperwork and records in their arms. They looked at you with wide eyes as you strutted straight toward them. Your gaze was icy, and that intimidated them right off the bat, too - but maybe that's because you were much taller than them.<br/>"I need replacement seastone handcuffs. The hinge on a pair of our prisoners is loose. It needs to be rectified immediately," you said. "And since you two look like you're going to the office, you'll bring me some right away, understand?"<br/>"Ah, of course, Captain..." one of them muttered, intimidated. "B-But we don't even have handcuffs in the office..."<br/>"And why not?!" you barked loudly at him, causing him to flinch in fright. "Don't you think it's a bit negligent not to have access to seastone in every important complex in the facility? Do I have to teach you guys everything from scratch or what?!"<br/>"B-But Captain, Vice Admiral Strawberry has-" the other tried to interject, but you silenced him with a single look.<br/>"Do you really think Vice Admiral Strawberry likes to worry about such trifles?!" you growled, leaning forward menacingly. "You two are not going to bother him with this. I won't let the negligence of you good-for-nothings be on his head. Now huddle up!"<br/>The two took to their heels and disappeared around the next corner without turning back.<br/>"I'll check the offices later!" you called after them, but got no more reply. Satisfied, you snorted, thrilled at how easy it could be. Because where there were seastone handcuffs, there were also the keys. There was no serial number or identification on Sasaki's handcuffs, which meant that all the keys had to fit. Then the problem with the handcuffs was as good as solved, but how did you get your people out into the open? Smuggling out three dozen pirates wasn't going to be easy. You already had an idea, but it would be infinitely complicated and would need perfect timing... And yet, it was still better than no plan at all!</p><p> </p><p>Two days later, everything was ready. All that was left was to inform the Valhalla and your Nakama of the plan. The ship was your bigger worry, because the soldiers had already started to dismantle the ship. Craftsmen had been called in and you had bribed some of them to work extra slowly - but you had no money left and if you stole any more of the other soldiers' belongings, you would soon be noticed. You had to move up the plan before the Valhalla was nothing but a wooden scaffold! Even as it was, the armor was almost completely dismantled and there was little protection against cannons. The outer armor was extremely hard and could take quite a beating, but the inner wood was light and therefore very soft. You had to get the ship out to the open sea as quickly as possible, but how?<br/>"Hey, Hama.", you nudged the young captain next to you and she looked up from her stew.<br/>"Huh?"<br/>"Say, is there actually much crime here on the island?" you asked, "I've heard rumors... That there are supposed to be smugglers in the little town inland."<br/>"Oh, yeah, that's right," said the blonde, stirring her spoon in her food. "A lot of them, actually. That's why the location was chosen, so that the smuggling ring could be busted right here, too."<br/>"And why aren't we doing that?" you asked, sighing. "Let's face it, it's not a state like this! I'm missing a necklace and Innai-san is missing a ring, I guarantee someone will give that to the fences."<br/>"Yeah, I'm also missing a bracelet," Hama finally agreed. "Do you really think someone will sell that? I had thought that I just misplaced it..."<br/>"That's embarrassing, a Marine base getting robbed!" you hissed, but in a hushed voice. "I'll go into town tonight and ask around. You'll have to keep an eye on the prisoners."<br/>Her eyes grew wide and she leaned forward so no one could hear her.<br/>"You're sneaking out?!" she asked, visibly uncomfortable. "But that's against the rules! You can't do that!"<br/>"It's for our reputation and our personal belongings!" you immediately talked at her, though. "Hama, we have to represent the law after all, this is a Marine island now!"<br/>She looked a little rattled and you groaned inwardly in annoyance. Come on, take the bait already!<br/>"You just have to keep the keys safe and check on the prisoners at ten," you said, "I'll be back before eleven and no one will notice anything, I promise!" When Hama still hesitated, you added. "You get my dessert for four weeks, too!"<br/>That's when she perked up - you could bribe the blonde captain with food, you'd already learned that.<br/>"And you'll be back before eleven?" she asked, and finally your plan took off. Silently you sent a push prayer to all available gods that it worked. If not, your life and that of your nakama was over!<br/>"I swear!" you assured, drawing a cross over your heart with your finger. "I just want order here, after all, that's our job."<br/>"I guess you're right." True, Hama still looked very uncertain, but it would be fine. You handed her the keychain with all the keys to the cells and gave her a sincere smile. Only thanks to Hama could this plan work like this, everything depended on her trusting you.<br/>"If I find your bracelet, I'll return it to you, of course," you quipped, and she laughed - you almost felt a little sorry that she was the scapegoat.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0030"><h2>30. Fate, don't fail me now</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>The two guards in the vault once again saluted you dutifully - it was getting boring. How could marines stand it all their lives? As monotonous as things were in this base, you'd rather be struck by lightning than endure it for the rest of your life!<br/>
"I'm being represented by Captain Hama tonight," you instruct them both. "This is strictly confidential. No one better know about this."<br/>
"Of course, Captain!" the two confirmed your briefing and you nodded in satisfaction. Now you just had to let Sasaki and the others in on your plan - then it would be a matter of life and death that evening. You were far too focused to be nervous. You vaguely remembered a school play in your early childhood when you were all excited. But then you entered the stage and the excitement was gone, only the role itself had been important.<br/>
With the difference that this was about the life of your beloved and not about playing a flower in a pot.<br/>
With the loud clack of your heel on the floor, you walked to the end of the vault where your nakama were already waiting for you.<br/>
"So, have you come up with a plan?" asked Ryu, but you were distracted by the dark stain on the floor. They had wiped away Koma's blood, but you could still make out the dark imprint on the light-colored rock. Ice water ran through your veins as you thought of him, of his look and this act that would haunt you forever.<br/>
"Y/N." You looked up, confused at being called by your name. Sasaki looked at you, expectant and also a little worried it seemed. You opened your mouth uneasily, trying to form a clear thought - you had to concentrate.<br/>
"Yes, I have a plan," you finally said, taking a deep breath. "And you're not going to like it. Especially you."<br/>
You looked at Sasaki piercingly, because he would have to take a huge hit to make it work. He could take a lot of damage, oh really! But he was already injured and weakened from the sea stone handcuffs, that didn't exactly raise the chance of success.<br/>
Stealthily, you glanced over your shoulder to make sure the guards were really not in the vault. Satisfied, you nodded and pulled the key to Sasaki's handcuffs out of your pocket. You went to his cell and you handed him the key through the bars. For a moment you touched each other and you realized with a painful stab in your chest that you missed him terribly. In the past few days you had to be constantly on your guard, you had hardly slept and the events gnawed at your stomach wall. If this went on, you were going to get an ulcer!<br/>
"Are you scared?" asked Sasaki softly and you shook your head. No, you really weren't.<br/>
"I'm too busy to be scared," you admitted. "Bribing people, taking Valhalla out to sea, finding a scapegoat. Finding a way to avoid Kizaru - I've been pretty busy."<br/>
He was silent for a moment, turning the key to his handcuffs, looking at it.<br/>
"I underestimated you." said Sasaki finally, and your heart softened a little, even under the facade of the strong Marine Captain.<br/>
"Yes, you did.", you agreed with him, but were taken by his apology. Never in a million years would Sasaki say 'I'm sorry', so you settled for that. It was more than you expected, considering his stubborn character. But maybe it was because he had been sitting in a cell for days. You knew Sasaki well enough to know that by now he would have loved to go up the walls. Like a lion in a cage - well, probably more like a triceratops.<br/>
"I'll explain the plan in a minute," you said quietly, because this little conversation was just for him and you. "But there's a 50/50 chance we're all going to die."<br/>
"Sounds a bit optimistic to me... It will be more like a 10/90 chance if you ask me," he replied with a wry grin and you chuckled, because he was right about that. So many things could go wrong and if this plan worked, it really was bordering on a miracle!<br/>
Your heart wasn't racing with excitement, but because you wanted to tell Sasaki the truth so close to the end. If you were both really going to die, then at least you wanted to finally confess your feelings to him. You gripped the bars and leaned your head against them, taking a deep breath.<br/>
"You don't have to say it back," you muttered softly, giving him an uncertain look. "I just need to get it off my chest. In case we get miserably killed."<br/>
With an exhausted groan, Sasaki stood up and he leaned as close as he could to the bars, eyeing you with his beautiful blue eyes. You lost yourself in them for a second, gathering the courage to finally come clean. The feeling of affection briefly overwhelmed you, and the fear that something might happen to him was almost numbing. There was no turning back now.<br/>
"I love you." you murmured to him and sighed, because it was finally out. The words sounded so stupid considering the situation, so nonsensical and void. And yet, it was a relief to finally confess it to him, after all these years.<br/>
Sasaki hesitated briefly, but you saw the loving look - even as he quickly glanced to the side. Finally, he snorted and nodded, more a gesture to himself than to you. He was not a sentimental man, not at all. But he had feelings for you too, you knew that. Only how was he to express them when he was simply not a man of big words?<br/>
"For me, it has always been you. Only you.", he replied and inwardly you melted, because that was probably the highest degree of affection that Sasaki could express with words. Your eyes sparkled with affection and love for him, even if he was a total idiot sometimes. Even that you liked about him, even if it annoyed you sometimes. True, his soft, loving side was very well hidden - but it was only meant for you.<br/>
"Hello, the plan?", Ryu loudly interfered. "<em>Now</em> if you please, I'd rather not be executed."<br/>
A little annoyed you sighed, but he was right after all. You had to explain the plan to them in detail to make sure everything went right. With a last, but very longing look for Sasaki, you straightened up and turned away from him, explaining the course of the evening.</p><p> </p><p>"Your plan is... how shall I put it...? Absolutely insane. It'll never work.", Ryuji said when you finished the explanation for the third time. Sure, it was complicated, but what choice did they have?<br/>
"Do you have a better idea, then?", Sasaki also asked his vice, but his look wasn't exactly optimistic either. "Even though I'd prefer pretty much any other plan, honestly."<br/>
Nodding sympathetically at him, Sasaki had to take a huge hit.<br/>
"One last time, I have to leave soon. The Valhalla won't make it to the open sea on its own," you said, pointing to Sasaki. "You'll get rid of your handcuffs, at eight-thirty. That's when the guards change shifts, and they'll find a nice mess."<br/>
"Sasaki's going to get a huge beating then, all right," Ryu said, leaning against the bars of his cell. "Suspicion of the foiled key then falls on your patsy, since she had the keys at the time."<br/>
"Correct." you confirmed, nodding emphatically. "In the meantime, I'll be back from my side trip to the town here on the island, where I'm supposed to be busting fences. The plan will then proceed as discussed."<br/>
"What about Kizaru?" one of the men asked, and you weighed your head. A fair question.<br/>
"This is where it all depends on my skill," you replied, fervently hoping that you wouldn't mess up your part. Everything depended on that too,<em> oh</em>, like so many other factors! You could only pray that luck would be on your side.<br/>
"Let's go then.", you muttered, looking around once more until you finally arrived with your gaze on Sasaki. You wondered if it would go well.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0031"><h2>31. Right here, right now</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>So far, so good - when you came back from your trip to the city, the base was pure chaos. There were soldiers running around, shouting orders to each other about what was coming, and when you ran into the building, some soldiers were just dragging Hama across the hall.<br/>"Let go of me-!!!" she shouted, resisting arrest. "That's just- Hey, Blanca!"<br/>You straightened your shoulders and approached the group, looking at the soldiers seriously.<br/>"What's going on here?" you asked, and Hama again threw herself against the soldiers' firm grip.<br/>"I'm supposed to have released the pirates!!!" shouted Hama and her gaze searched yours, helpless and panicked. "But I only had the keys because you asked me to take them!"<br/>Strawberry joined you and you saluted, as composed and calm as possible. Your plan was picking up steam, and you were sorry you had to throw Hama under the wheels - but nothing was more important to you than the safety of your nakama and Sasaki.<br/>"You gave me the keys so suspicion would fall on me!!!", Hama yelled at you, spitting angrily at your feet. "You're one of them! A fucking pirate!!!"<br/>You narrowed your eyes a bit and looked to Strawberry, who just sighed.<br/>"And what are you basing this suspicion on?" asked the vice, while Hama calmed down at least a little. You felt really sorry for the blonde, because the way you played along with her, she'd probably end up in Impel Down - but you were a pirate, there was just no room for friendships outside your own crew. It was lonely at times, but it was the path you had chosen.<br/>"She hasn't even been able to prove that she really belongs to the Marines!" ranted Hama.<br/>"She has a valid identification code. It's customary for parents to bequeath the code to their children when they retire from the Marine," Strawberry retorted, and the blonde stomped her foot, exasperated and afraid.<br/>"A-and she was in town tonight! She was going to bust some fences! Leaving the base is against the rules!" continued Hama excitedly. "Vice Admiral Strawberry, please, she's not one of us!"<br/>"Captain Blanca had my permission to leave the base," Strawberry calmly replied. "In fact, she was on my orders - to investigate whether the stolen items from this base were showing up in the stolen goods stores and we could track down the thief."<br/>Speechless, Hama opened her mouth and closed it again, looking back and forth between you and Strawberry in a panic. It was hard to believe how brilliantly your plan was going!<br/>You had brought Strawberry on board as an absolutely safe alibi - in the meantime you had initiated the theft of the Valhalla in the city. The ship should have disappeared from the dock by now, but with the chaos at the base, that was probably the least of the Marine's problems. In the basement vault, on the other hand, Sasaki was rioting, you could feel the vibrations of the shaking under your feet. Kizaru would make short work of him if you weren't there first - good thing the admiral had a penchant for solitary evening walks in the summer. Everything interlocked, little by little the small cogs in your scheme turned. Hama ran out of accusations, Strawberry had to be master of the situation until Kizaru arrived, and so of course his eyes fell on you.<br/>"We're going downstairs, capturing the pirates again is our top priority," he said and you saluted, following the Vice Admiral down the hall. That was phase one, now you just had to stop the chaos. Then you put on Sasaki the fake sea stone handcuffs you had bought from the fence. He turned back into his human form and then came the really difficult part. For the thousandth time that night, you sent up a prayer to the heavens, hoping that everything would continue to go so smoothly.</p><p> </p><p>Fortune was with you, because you managed to handcuff Sasaki before Strawberry could hurt him much more seriously. He was still badly hurt, losing lots of blood from his wounds, and if he wasn't such a tough cookie, you'd be worried about him. But Sasaki was still Sasaki, and he was kneeling on the ground when you leaned down to him and put your boot on his torso. Time for some acting, so that everyone really did think you were a loyal Marine.<br/>"Just look at you." you said, pressing your heel against Sasaki's shoulder, keeping him grounded. "All this fuss and you're still going to die. Was it really worth it, pirate?"<br/>The blue eyes looked up at you, and even if it was all for show - you could clearly see that Sasaki was into it when you handled him like that.<br/>You pulled the knife from your boot and lifted his chin with the blade, unable to keep from smiling broadly. Hopefully, no one saw that you were not staring at each other full of hatred, but were examining each other with lustful looks. If the situation wasn't so serious - and unfortunately it was - then the whole thing would be much more fun. Still, Sasaki liked the dominant you, so you should keep that in mind.<br/>"Get Admiral Kizaru." you directed one of the soldiers and he saluted, hurrying off immediately. In the background, you heard the sound of rubble crumbling from the cracked walls. Sasaki was really incredibly strong if he could do such damage within a few minutes! The vault was badly damaged and quite a few soldiers were injured - what could Sasaki do once he was at his peak?<br/>"Making such a mess, really..." you reprimanded him, leaning down a bit as you pushed him back even further with your boot. "Shame on you."<br/>He snorted in amusement and spat some blood on the ground in front of you.<br/>"You're in for a treat when we get back to Wano," he murmured to you, and <em>oh</em>, did an expectant shiver run down your spine. How could he think of sex in such a situation? You almost had to laugh at his composure in the face of approaching death. In the end, he really trusted you blindly and relied on the fact that your plan also worked. He couldn't give you a nicer compliment, really.<br/>"I do hope that's a promise," you replied lasciviously, finally letting go of him when you heard footsteps at the entrance to the vault.<br/>The admiral eyed the situation and you could feel his displeasure very clearly. He seemed annoyed that he had been disturbed on such a beautiful summer evening. Kizaru was a man of habit and was only too happy to rely on routine, his devil fruit powers and his ego. That would definitely play into your hands later on.<br/>"Sir, may I speak frankly?" you asked, and Kizaru made a noise of interest.<br/>"Of course, Captain.", he allowed you to speak and you put your knife back in its holder on your boot, giving the captured pirates a deprecating look.<br/>"We should hang them," you said, looking at Kizaru again. "Now, before they cause any more trouble."<br/>Silence.<br/>Then Kizaru's mouth twisted into a wry grin and his cold eyes pierced through the yellow lenses of his sunglasses.<br/>"My, Captain, such drastic measures right away!" he said, but you heard quite clearly the excitement in his voice and that your suggestion pleased him very much. "And such an efficient approach! I'm <em>thrilled</em>."<br/>Grateful for the praise, you nodded and turned to the waiting soldiers.<br/>"Get everyone upstairs to the gallows!" With clamor and resistance, the pirates were led away one by one, and your stomach ache only increased. Now it was all about everything, now everything had to go absolutely smoothly!</p><p>The main square of the base actually still had a gallows and that had been Kizaru's idea, of course. This bastard liked to make a big act out of himself and his ego and this also included the installation of a real gallows. There was room for several nooses on the wood, so that it was even possible to hang several people at once. The sight of the ropes sent a chill down your spine, but you just gritted your teeth and kept walking.<br/>"Line up nicely. I want Sasaki up there last, he gets to watch his people die!" you commanded the soldiers and the nearly three dozen pirates were lined up. You played your role well, but with a sharp twinge in your stomach. You felt sick to your stomach as the first pirates climbed the stairs to the gallows. The wood creaked heavily under their weight and for a moment you felt dizzy. All this responsibility was so heavy on your shoulders, you could hardly stand it. Painfully you longed for your room at Woman Trouble, for your squabbles with Sasaki, and worst the of all was just you, having to chase after your stupid accounting!<br/>Yet here you were, standing by the side of an admiral and about to let your nakama hang. Watching the executioner tie the nooses made you break out in a cold sweat under your naval uniform. You couldn't have more blood on your hands, you had to act now! It was now or never. <br/>"Admiral Kizaru.", you turned to him and he tilted his head questioningly. With emphasis, you looked him in the eye and finally extended your hand to him - a peace offering. "I appreciate very much that you have put your trust in me despite the lack of backing. Thank you, Admiral. I feel honored."<br/>He snorted in amusement, but finally grasped your hand and shook it, almost benevolently.<br/>"I had my doubts at first, yes," he admitted, and you smiled broadly, squeezing his hand a little tighter.<br/>"Yes, I know you did," you said, and by the time Kizaru noticed the click on his wrist, it was too late. With nimble fingers, you had put sea stone handcuffs on him - the slim models that could be easily hidden in his sleeve. His eyes widened and your gaze turned cold, the smile becoming a wry grin. "It was my pleasure, <em>Admiral</em>."<br/>You let go of his hand and whistled loudly, the sign Sasaki had only been waiting for. With a violent downward motion, he shredded the fake handcuffs on his arms and transformed into his zoan form before the soldiers could even react. With his tail, he directly swept ten people over and your nakama also freed themselves from their shackles among themselves.<br/>In one leap you were at Sasaki and he tilted his head so you could climb on top of him and be out of reach of the soldiers' swords. No one stood in the way of a Triceratops just like that, you would make it all the way to the docks. It certainly wasn't necessarily hard in all the chaos to capture a Marines ship and disappear - but you climbed on Sasaki's back and whistled once more. Kizaru, who was furiously trying to muster a key to the handcuffs, looked to you as you burst through the wall to the dock along with your nakama. Of course, Kizaru didn't know that the keys to the handcuffs were all in the well in the forecourt, but it amused you royally that your plan worked. You gave Kizaru the middle finger and together with your friends you disappeared behind the wall destroyed by Sasaki, while the soldiers tried to catch you in a panic. The last thing you saw was Strawberry rushing out of the building, and you waved goodbye to him as well, laughing.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0032"><h2>32. I love you</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>Only when you were out of range of the island with the Valhalla, sailing in a strong current, did you dare to exhale. You stood at the stern of the ship, keeping a close eye on the horizon in case you were followed. Your heart was still racing and your stomach ached, but the tension just wouldn't leave you. What if Kizaru was following you directly with his ship? You could imagine that he wasn't exactly happy about your show and would do everything he could to catch you and kill you. Ah, your bounty would surely increase.... Until now it had been so low that you had been able to move freely - that would surely change in the future.<br/>In the meantime, Sasaki was being treated and you worried a bit about him. He had been badly hurt since Dressrosa and the injuries needed a little time to heal completely. In the end, it was all your fault, if you were honest with yourself. Koma's death was not only your fault, but it was at your hand. Would you ever get rid of the feeling of guilt that gnawed at your heart? Like a boil, that darkness grew in your chest and it felt like weights were weighing down your shoulders.<br/>Your stomach ache worsened and you rushed to the railing, vomiting into the sea. With the burning pain of stomach acid in your throat, you clung to the wood and retched once more. With the back of your hand you wiped your mouth and sank to the floor, on the planks scratched by the workers of the Marines. Your knees were soft and shaky and you wept for the life of your nakama. Life as a pirate was hard sometimes, not just partying and pillaging. Friends died and your own morals were twisted or even thrown overboard. Earlier in life you could not have done such a thing, but your instinct to protect Sasaki was very strong.<br/>That made you think for a moment. If your urge to protect Sasaki and preserve your relationship was so strong, would you also let yourself be carried away by such impulsive actions on Onigashima? Wouldn't it have been smarter to just contact the Beast Pirates and wait for reinforcements? You had convinced yourself that there was no time - but that was a lie. You just wanted Sasaki to think you were strong, like he was. Because what if he couldn't stand your physical inferiority anymore and dropped you? It would hurt you a lot, to say the least.<br/>You wanted out of those scratchy navy clothes and rose, pulling yourself up by the rail and shuddering at the bitter taste in your mouth. A hot shower, brush your teeth, and finally change back into familiar clothes. Maybe the guilt could be washed away with soap?</p><p> </p><p>Your little cabin had been left in one piece by the thieving magpies of Marines, but your things were scattered everywhere. With a sigh, you threw the navy coat on the bed and began to gather your things. While you hadn't taken too much on your trip, it didn't exactly improve your mood. The clothes were piled up in a mountain on the small bed, and you would probably not be able to iron out the wrinkles in them until you got to Onigashima. How annoying, you couldn't even do laundry on this ship! Your mood sank even more, if at all possible. Actually, you only wanted to go to Sasaki, but he wanted to contact Wano after the doctoring and describe what had happened. You were glad that he took over this task, because you didn't want to have to confess this huge mess to Kaido. It was enough that you definitely had to answer for your actions to the irascible Kaido. The thought alone made you feel sick again and you wondered how deep the traces were that this adventure had left on you. It was clear that you would not be able to sleep... Maybe Sasaki would let you sleep with him again?<br/>"Y/N." You whirled around and your heart grew heavy when you saw Sasaki. He had been bandaged up by the ship's doctor, and you pulled the corners of your mouth down when you saw him like that. It had all started when you had taken that stupid job as head of Kaido's accounting department - you regretted it.<br/>"Sasaki!" You threw everything out of your hands and threw yourself into his arms, which he let happen. Sasaki groaned slightly under your strong embrace and you squeezed him less in the face of his broken ribs.<br/>"Don't be so stormy, I'm not quite back on my feet yet," he said, but returned your embrace with the same affection you showed him. You raised your head and looked up at him, swallowing hard against the painful lump in your throat. He looked really exhausted, it broke your heart a little.<br/>"I'm so sorry." you mumbled, pressing against him again, as gently as possible so as not to hurt him. "This is all my fault."<br/>"Nonsense." He rested his chin on your head and snorted, not seeming happy that you blamed yourself for everything. "I came along willingly, it's not like you dragged me to Dressrosa."<br/>You sobbed.<br/>"Not that you could drag me anywhere.... Physically." Even his hopeful attempt to cheer you up failed, and you shook your head as you just kept pressing against him. You almost lost him, and fear crept up the back of your neck. What if Kizaru caught up to you after all?<br/>Sasaki was silent for a moment and squeezed you, but then grabbed you by the shoulders and pushed you away from him.<br/>"Go get changed first. It's getting late, and to be honest, I have a hell of a headache." he said, and you wiped the tears from your face. "Not to mention my shoulders are almost dislocated from these fucking chains.... I just want to sleep."<br/>"Can I sleep on the futon with you?" you asked hesitantly and Sasaki made a surprised noise, tilting his head.<br/>"Of course. I thought that was clear?" he asked back, and that drove the whine out of you. He seemed to have assumed that you were spending the night together with him - that finally lifted your spirits a little.</p><p>The shower helped you feel like a normal pirate again. The smell of the laundry starch of the naval uniform didn't stick to your skin anymore and you were glad about that - it was such a strange smell, unfamiliar and somehow.... repulsive.<br/>With your hair still wet, you closed the door to your cabin behind you and paused for a moment. Something in you resisted going to sleep. Although you could spend some time together with Sasaki, you were afraid of nightmares. What if you couldn't sleep? Or what if there was some kind of tension between you because you'd had to mess him up so badly in your plan, too?<br/>"Hey, I'm coming in." You closed the door to Sasaki's cabin behind you as well and leaned your back against it, sighing slightly. "How are your injuries? And don't downplay it."<br/>"I have two broken ribs, the cut in my upper arm Yosaku had to stitch, and don't even get me started on my sore muscles," he growled, and you made a sad sound in your throat. Thoughtfully, you moved closer and sat down on the futon while Sasaki puffed exhaustedly and rolled onto his back. "And I still have a headache."<br/>"You've really taken a beating, though," you said, gently placing a hand on his bandaged chest. "I've really had enough of all these adventures."<br/>An approving growl.<br/>"Can you imagine normal everyday life on Onigashima again?" you asked, carefully resting your head on his torso. You listened to his breathing, his heartbeat, and were grateful that he was alive. "My accounting, your division, and those pesky guys at Woman Trouble.... It all seems so unreal."<br/>"Still better than all this mess." he grumbled, wrapping his arms around you as you joined him under the warm fabric. The fear of hurting him was still there - but Sasaki wouldn't let you escape his embrace. For a few minutes, you just lay there in silence, enjoying each other's closeness. His body heat had a calming effect on you and your emotional chaos. You could sleep safely in his presence, without question.<br/>"I was very afraid for you," you said, lifting your head and resting your chin on his chest to look at him. "If my plan hadn't worked, then-"<br/>"Let it go." Blue eyes returned your gaze and you sighed, because yes, he was right. Keeping the what-ifs in mind didn't move you forward, it just made you all the more depressed. "It all worked out."<br/>"More or less." you said wistfully, sighing as heavily as if the fate of the world rested on your shoulders. "Koma..."<br/>With a groan, Sasaki grabbed you and rolled around, pulling you with him, and he buried his face in your wet hair.<br/>"You had no choice." he finally said, but as much as you wished it, you couldn't quite believe him.<br/>"I pulled the trigger," you replied weakly and wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him close for a kiss. "I feel guilty, very much so. Like I could have stopped this from happening."<br/>"Listen to me." Blue eyes met yours and Sasaki looked serious, more serious than you liked. "You saved almost all of us today - thirty-two men and me. That there was only one death is more than a miracle. You fooled an admiral, and even an entire naval base, if you think about it."<br/>Tears burned in your eyes again, but you blinked hard to dispel them.<br/>"Sasaki, I-" you hesitated. "I must confess, I would have killed every one of them to save you. All of our nakama."<br/>You felt uncomfortable telling him. You would have pulled the trigger a total of 33 times simply to save Sasaki's life. For him, you gave up everything and overcame every obstacle! Still, it felt a little shameful that he was so important to you. It made you weak and strong at the same time - love was really a strange thing.<br/>"Mhm, I know.", Sasaki murmured and he kissed you. "The feeling is mutual. But I think you already know that."<br/>You leaned forward and kissed him, just shaking with affection for him. Never would you have thought it possible, just the idea of you having a relationship with Sasaki - you would have thought yourself crazy. But after all that chaos and all those hardships, here you were, that night, just the two of you. The cold, stubborn Sasaki tolerated only you so close to his heart, no one else. The trust he placed in you was the greatest proof of trust.<br/>"Sasaki..." you murmured, leaning your forehead against his. "I love you. More than<em> anything</em>."<br/>He took a deep breath and sighed heavily, hugging you a little tighter against his torso. A low, contented growl escaped him and it almost sounded like the purr of a predatory cat, so deep. It was a sound of deep contentment, like nothing you had ever heard from him before. His voice was so rough and soft that you had to listen closely.<br/>"I love you, too."</p><p> </p>
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<a name="section0033"><h2>33. Here</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>Nara poked her head through the door to your room and you cursed out, startled, again - she really needed to stop doing that!<br/>"Damn it, Nara!" you hissed at her and your best friend gave you an apologetic smile.<br/>"Sorry.", she said and closed the door behind her. "How are you, did you sleep?"<br/>Evasively, you looked to the side. Since your return, you slept poorly to not at all, plagued by nightmares of the events of the last few weeks. It gnawed at you that you had had to kill Koma - even though Nara told you over and over again that you had had no choice. Apart from your obvious guilt, there was the fear of Kaido, whom you had to face that afternoon.<br/>For three days you had been back on Onigashima, and finally you had to justify yourself to Kaido. What you had been thinking when you took all the orders from Joker and why you had had to kill one of Sasaki's men. The enormous damage to the Valhalla and you had such a hunch that he would not be pleased. With any luck, though, Kaido didn't care and let you off again.<br/>"Are you nervous?" asked Nara, sitting down on the corner of your desk, seeking your gaze. "And you still haven't told me what's going on with you and Sasaki now."<br/>Your heart grew heavy and you looked out the open window, lost in your thoughts for a moment.<br/>"It's complicated," you finally evaded, and that wasn't even a lie. You hadn't seen each other since you arrived and it worried you a lot. So had it been just a flirtation in the end, despite the intense feelings? Was it possible to keep this budding relationship a secret? Or even to live it openly? The latter probably not.<br/>Nara put a hand on your arm and you winced a little, but returned to reality.<br/>"You should talk to him." she finally said, giving you that typical Nara look. Uplifting, motivating, and concerned about your emotional life. Didn't she have her own relationship problems to fix?<br/>"I miss him," you finally admitted, almost feeling a little ashamed of it. Three days and you could think of nothing but Sasaki - the feeling when he touched you, his smell and the warmth of his skin on yours. Ridiculous, because after all, you were both high ranking officers of the Beast Pirates! You had already proven your worth as the chief accountant several times, and with that you held tremendous power. This had advantages and disadvantages, as you had to experience rudely on your journey. These two weeks at sea had changed you very much and left their traces on you... Would you ever feel like yourself again?<br/>"You should go to him, you know where he lives," Nara finally said and pulled your black book out of your hands, to which you only sparsely protested. She was right, even if you were reluctant to admit it. You really would think you would have learned to face your fears.<br/>"By the way...", Nara held a note under your nose. "You've got a new wanted poster. Your ridiculous amount has been increased tenfold, just like that."<br/>"What?!" You snatched the wanted poster from her immediately and stared open-mouthed at the sum that was now exposed on your head. "That much?! Holy sh-"<br/>"Well, that's what you get for leading an admiral around by the nose," Nara muttered, raising her eyebrows. "Let's face it, the Navy is so really bad on you. Even though it's really cool what you pulled off. Would've loved to have seen that."<br/>"You wouldn't have." you immediately retorted and rose, putting the wanted poster aside. Images came flooding in and you needed all your willpower not to slump back in your chair. You saw Koma in your mind's eye, looking at you and allowing you to kill him. Over and over again you told yourself that you had no choice - but the guilt remained. You could only learn to live with it and maybe even forgive yourself someday.</p><p>On the Live Floor, you finally swayed nervously from one leg to the other, waiting until Bao Huang came to pick you up. She was very petty when it came to the appointments at Skull Dome, so you didn't dare go upstairs until she came for you. It was enough that you had to answer to Kaido yourself. If this kept up, you'd end up with stress eating through your stomach wall....<br/>"Hi, Y/N." You looked around and waved at Page One, who was roaming the hallway on the live floor. Rarely did you encounter the Tobi Roppo, as he liked to stay in the background and seemed rather annoyed with his duties. Still, you liked him, even if he was a little strange.<br/>"Hello Page One, how are you?" you asked, continuing to bob up and down.<br/>He eyed you for a moment, then snorted.<br/>"Better than you, apparently," he finally said, and you rolled your eyes. "You really do look terrible..."<br/>"Charming as ever," you grumbled, but he was right, after all. You hadn't slept in days, your back hurt terribly, and you felt feverish. If you looked half as bad as you felt, you must really look like death itself.<br/>"I just came from Master Kaido." he said, putting his hands in his pockets. He watched you chew on your lower lip for a moment - but then took pity on you and continued. "He's in a good mood, so don't worry too much. I've heard about your escapades, I think he'll find it more amusing than anything else."<br/>"You really think so?" you inquired tentatively, your stomach aching a little less. Hope resonated so much in your voice that Page One finally leaned against the railing next to you and looked down at the live floor. He put a little spin on his words, he always did - unless he was squabbling with his sister Ulti again.<br/>"Your adventures are the talk of the island," he finally said. "That you are a damn good negotiator, together with Sasaki Dressrosa in rubble to have laid and then the thing with Kizaru. You cause a stir with things like that, you know that."<br/>"This crew is filled to the top with gossips," you muttered, but who could blame them? The Beast Pirates numbered in the tens of thousands; it was its own little ecosystem unto itself. Onigashima alone housed nearly three thousand men, so adventurous stories quickly made the rounds. Still, if they were gossiping about your exploits, they were certainly gossiping about your relationship with Sasaki.... Although, everyone on this cursed island was already doing that anyway.<br/>You noticed Page One eyeing you from the side, and you gave him a questioning look. He leaned a little towards you and narrowed his eyes.<br/>"And there's really something going on between you and Sasaki?" he asked, and instantly you caught your breath in anger. How could he be so cheeky as to ask you something so personal!!!?<br/>"Are you crazy?!" you immediately hissed, glaring angrily at Tobi Roppo. "As if that's any of your business, you <em>rotten little</em>-"<br/><br/>"Mm, that wasn't a no." he replied and you grabbed his collar, wanting to just shake this cheeky, cocky idiot or throw him over the railing onto the Live Floor. <br/>"Hey, Sasaki. Long time no see." You whirled around so fast it cracked in your neck and you knew it was going to hurt bad later. Sasaki was just coming up to you and Page One, watching as you had already pushed the younger man half over the railing. Under his mask, Page One was grinning from ear to ear, you could tell from his smug tone. He seemed at ease with you, if he dared to annoy you so much and drive you up the wall. Usually he was only so easy-going with Ulti, but much more important to you at that moment was Sasaki.<br/>The sight of him alone almost made your knees buckle, and you had to bite your tongue to keep yourself from breaking into a stupid grin. It was so good to see him, even if it had only been three days. Your relationship was so fresh, so fiery, and so incredibly fragile that you wanted to spend every minute with him. But that wasn't possible in your daily lives, so you had no choice but to let Page One go and give him piercing looks.<br/>"Get lost!" you growled to him, and Sasaki looked to you and then to Page One, tilting his head slightly questioningly. Snorting in amusement, the younger Tobi Roppo then sought the distance and you gave him the middle finger as he gave you and Sasaki another mocking look over his shoulder.<br/>"What was that all about?", Sasaki finally asked and you sighed - but only because your heart was beating up to your neck again in his presence. Near him you could hardly breathe and didn't dare to look at him. You wanted to keep the distance to him at all costs, at least in public. Sasaki cared a lot about his image, that people were afraid of him and respected him. That's just how he was, rock hard on the outside, and only to you was he gentle and loving.... For no one else. If he made that exception for you, fighting his own ego like that, then you had to respect his wishes too. Even if your heart almost rolled over at the sight of him.<br/>"I have to go see Kaido." you finally said, leaning back against the railing. "I hope he doesn't rip my head off."<br/>"Hmhm, he won't.", Sasaki replied and he leaned against the railing next to you, watching the usual hustle and bustle on the Live Floor. "I'll be there too, so don't worry."<br/>"You're coming as well?" you asked him immediately. He nodded. "And you'd stop Kaido from ripping my head off?"<br/>Again he nodded. You were so flattered by this that you were momentarily speechless, savoring the intense feeling of affection in your chest. They were proofs of love from Sasaki, things he couldn't say to you and that's why he expressed them in this way. You got used to it and appreciated it a lot by now.<br/>"Hey, Sasaki... Remember when you offered me the chance to sleep over? At your place?" you finally asked, and he looked at you, seeming genuinely surprised that you were bringing up the subject at this of all times. It made you uncomfortable, but you wanted to trust him, to be honest and let him know how you were doing.<br/>"I'm not sleeping very well," you admitted quietly. "Not at all, to be honest. I figured if I could sleep with you, then..."<br/>"Nightmares?" he asked after a brief moment of silence and you nodded, wringing your hands.<br/>"Yes, it's getting- It's getting worse," you admitted, "I see Koma in front of me every night. Every time I close my eyes."<br/>"I thought so..." Sasaki said quietly. "You know where I live. Come by if you need a rest."<br/>"Thanks." That was all you could think of to say, because it felt like a weakness to suffer so much from your actions. Didn't he ever feel that way? Did he never regret the things he had done in his life?<br/>"Hello you two." Silently, Bao Huang came floating out from the upper floor, and once again you were reminded that she was half flying squirrel. Cheerfully she waved to Sasaki, who just nodded and you smiled kindly at her. "Master Kaido will talk to you now. Please keep it short, there's more to come today."<br/>"Of course." There was another brief eye contact between you and Sasaki, then you both followed Bao Huang.</p><p>Kaido was drunk, as usual. You didn't like being around him, even if he was technically your captain. It was only the third time you'd even spoken to him, and you were welcome to keep it that infrequent. Although, now that you had such a high position in the crew, you surely had to see Kaido more often from now on.<br/>"I've heard about your debauchery," Kaido said, and you tilted your head slightly. "King also informed me about your bullshit on Dressrosa."<br/>You saw King out of the corner of your eye, leaning against the wall, listening in on your conversation.<br/>"I had to put Joker in his place," you replied coolly, however, trying to appear as strong as possible. Don't be intimidated, you thought to yourself. Don't show any weakness. "He felt he had to kidnap me - I didn't see that."<br/>Kaido eyed you briefly and finally snorted in amusement. He took a big swig from his bottle and you waited nervously for his reaction.<br/>"You took quite the liberty there, taking all the orders and contracts away from him." He looked to King. "And you didn't do that on your own either.... All that behind my back, hm, King?"<br/>"That's right," you confirmed, "and I'd do it again if Joker had the nerve to do it again."<br/>At your biting remark, Kaido laughed and Sasaki gave a low growl.<br/>"Don't overdo it." your lover murmured to you, but that only drew Kaido's attention.<br/>"And <em>you</em>, Sasaki?" he asked. "What have you been doing in that time? Reduced Dressrosa's capital to rubble?"<br/>Caught off guard, Sasaki nodded, and he actually seemed a little embarrassed by losing his composure like that.<br/>"I was there to protect Y/N, and I just had to act..." he talked himself out of it, and you stifled an amused snort. Yeah, guess that was one way to put it.<br/>"And then that story with Kizaru-" you ducked your head, because that definitely meant you again. "He's furious that such a lightweight like you led him around by the nose like that."<br/>You couldn't think of a clever answer to that, because the new and way higher bounty spoke for itself. Such an increase in the bounty was rare, and you had to be careful on your next mission - not to let bounty hunters bag you. But for that you had your very own bodyguard.<br/>Kaido seemed to be considering whether to punish you. His gaze was on you until he finally sighed in annoyance and sent you away with a wave of his hand.<br/>"Go, get lost. Get out of here before I change my mind," he said, reaching for his alcohol again. It was clear that he really just wanted to be left alone - that's why you nodded respectfully and watched yourself disappear as quickly as possible. Sasaki followed you and with half an ear you heard King talking to Kaido. All in all, it had gone very well, but you knew you had been lucky. On a bad day and if Kaido had been in a bad mood - things might have turned out very differently.<br/>"Lucky.", Sasaki murmured to you as you walked down the hall together. "Let's face it, you made quite a mess - you're lucky he was in such a good mood!"<br/>"Me - making a mess?" you asked, playfully indignant, wrinkling your nose. "Says the guy who single-handedly tears down an entire coliseum! That was chaos!"<br/>"And I'd do it again. For you." said Sasaki, and you felt his amused look until you finally arrived at a crossroads of corridors. You had to go left, Sasaki right. There was your daily routine, full of tasks and responsibilities - you disliked it very much. If you were still at sea, you would now just spend the next few hours sitting on deck together with Sasaki, enjoying the salty air. Unfortunately, however, it was not so, so you now went your separate ways.<br/>"See you tonight then?" he asked, a little more hesitantly than you were used to from him. You gave your beloved an encouraging smile and nodded.<br/>"Yes, I'll come by after I make it clear to Maria that I won't be at Woman Trouble that night," you answered him, your voice laced with affection and warmth, the anticipation of a beautiful and, above all, shared evening.</p><p> </p><p>"And Maria knows?" Nara scurried around you while you considered what the hell to pack. It almost seemed a bit silly that you didn't know to pack anything besides your toothbrush and some clean clothes.<br/>"Yes, she does," you returned, weighing whether you should just grab some accounting work. "She wasn't thrilled, but she agreed."<br/>"And you two have already, <em>you know</em>..." Nara wiggled her eyebrows, but you just waved it off, keeping the salacious details from her. Just about every night of your return trip you had spent with Sasaki, but that was none of even your best friend's business. So instead of answering her, you rummaged through a pile of unfolded clothes and thought a second time about picking up some work.<br/>"You're acting like a teenager in love," Nara teased you further, and you shrugged, because she wasn't really wrong about that. You were hopelessly in love with Sasaki and afraid that it was just a casual thing for him after all. It was like you could hardly believe that someone as strong as Sasaki was even looking at you! He was so incredible, always had to have the last word, and on top of that he would mess with anything and everything - you really liked that about him, and you wondered a little what he saw in you.<br/>"Come on, it'll be nice." Your best friend had noticed this hint of insecurity and she put a hand on your shoulder encouragingly, smiling broadly. "Just enjoy it, I'm sure it'll be great."<br/>"Thanks." you replied emphatically, pulling her into a hug. As exhausting as Nara could be sometimes - she was always there for you and supported you where she could. She was just a real friend!<br/>"Off you go, then, before Maria changes her mind," with that, Nara pushed you out of your own room and quickly grabbed the papers and accounting records out of your hands. "No work!! Have a good time!"</p><p> </p><p>With a nervous tingle in your stomach, you climbed onto the wooden porch of Sasaki's house near the gardens and listened inside. It was a small house in traditional style, you liked it immediately. The small garden was very quiet and you could hardly believe that a pirate lived here.<br/>"... Sasaki?" you finally asked, only to find that he wasn't home yet. The sun was already setting and by all appearances he had a lot to do. Granted, he hadn't been on Onigashima for a while now. Surely a lot of work had been left undone...<br/>You took off your shoes and looked around, finally putting your things aside and deciding to cook something. You told yourself that Sasaki must be hungry after so much work - but you only wanted to eat with him. Pretend to be a real copule, a normal couple even. To show him your affection by such little things like a dinner. Good food brought each other closer, your mother had always said. Good thing you had relieved the pantry at Woman Trouble with some ingredients and a big bottle of sake!<br/>It wasn't long, either, before you heard noises and Sasaki joined you in the kitchen. He looked tired and you felt for him. It was even nicer that he stretched briefly and then put his arms around your upper body, hugged you and pressed himself against your back. At the same time, you both sighed in relief, as if the day would finally end with this touch. Laughing, you turned around, facing him fully, and hugged Sasaki. He just melted under your touch, the tension left his muscles and he buried his face in the crook of your neck.<br/>"Are you hungry?" you finally asked and he nodded, his eyes already on the bottle of alcohol. You rolled your eyes and handed it to him, receiving a kiss on the temple in return, and Sasaki left you alone, retreating to the sunset-lit porch for a moment of peace.<br/>While you kept a close eye on the vegetables as they roasted, a deep and pleasant calm came over you. It made you feel that this relationship, this thing between you and Sasaki was real. There was something down-to-earth about it, it gave you confidence that it would last longer.<br/><br/>"I'm still getting papers from you, by the way." You put the last bowl of food on the small table and gave Sasaki an incensed look. "You still haven't turned in your accounting."<br/>"Now don't start with that..." he grumbled, but sat down with you and poured you some sake as well. "The papers are at the port, I don't know, somewhere there..."<br/>"Why don't you just bring them by Woman Trouble tomorrow?" you retorted, and went to work on the very well done mackerel, but burned your tongue in the process. You grimaced, to which Sasaki snorted in amusement and took the asparagus from your plate.<br/>"Hey, that's mine-!" you protested, but too late - he had already devoured your vegetables.<br/>"Or I'll just take them here and you finish your work here," Sasaki suggested, shaking his head to keep his wild mane out of your face while he ate. You perked up, because there was clearly an invitation to stay longer than just one night in his proposal.<br/>"Sounds good to me," you agreed, inwardly so pleased with his invitation that your stomach tingled again. "Then I can finally finish your balance sheets. Really Sasaki, you're three months behind!"<br/>"You're the accountant here, it's not my job," he answered and you couldn't help laughing. You had missed your bickering because the last few weeks had been so full of stress, arguments, and danger to your lives. Finally, the two of you came to rest a little, at least as much as you could expect as a pirate.</p><p>The red-orange light of the sun's last rays shone on the floor and you paused for a moment.<br/>"You know, I could really get used to this," you finally said, setting your now empty bowl on the table.<br/>"What do you mean?", Sasaki asked, wrinkling his nose as the bottle already proved to be empty.<br/>"This." you replied curtly, breathing in the fresh breeze that blew in through the open doors. It was a pleasant evening in warm weather, you could hear the bugs buzzing outside and the bustle of the entertainment district nearby. A few birds hopped around on the grass outside, played with each other briefly, and finally disappeared into the trees. You looked at Sasaki, who returned your gaze, and it was clear that he knew exactly what you meant. Him and you - you - and what connected you to each other. Enjoying a quiet evening together, a good meal and really appreciating each other's company. You didn't want to say it, and you didn't have to, because it had been clear to both of you for a long time.<br/>This was <strong><em>love</em></strong> - nothing more and nothing less.<br/>"Mmm, yeah. I could get used to it.", you murmured again and Sasaki nodded, giving you an amorous sideways glance that was so uncharacteristic for him.<br/>"Yeah, me too."</p><p> </p>
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